Welcome addition: Honduras international striker Georgie Welcome is reportedly on his way to Rangers for a trial. Pic: ©Reuters
Georgie Welcome will travel to Scotland next week for a trial with Rangers, according to reports in Honduras. La Tribuna claims Welcome, who was part of the Honduran side which competed at this summer’s World Cup, will link up with the SPL side upon their return from Australia.
Welcome was linked with a move to Rangers before the World Cup, with the Glasgow club’s coach Ian Durrant said to have watched him in two of Honduras’ warm-up matches.
Currently with Club Deportivo Motagua, it is said Welcome, who has 17 international caps, will head to Scotland after the return leg of his team’s CONCACAF Champions League game with Toronto next Tuesday.
Rangers lost forwards Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd over the summer on free transfers and are known to be in the market for a new striker, despite their limited budget. South African Katlego Mphela, another player who featured at the World Cup, has this week been linked with a move to join Walter Smith’s team.
Welcome, who would be available for around £600,000, came on as a substitute in all three of Honduras’ Group H games in South Africa. The 25-year-old failed to find the net during his 93 minutes of action but has a goal scoring pedigree, having scored 23 times in 64 appearances at club level.
The 6ft 3in player started his career in Honduras with 2006/07 champions Arsenal, before moving to Motagua in 2008. A bustling player who is effective both in the air and on the ground, he played in his team’s 1-0 prelimnary round loss in Toronto on Tuesday night.
Rangers have stuck with Kenny Miller in attack during their friendlies against Queen of the South, Blackburn Rovers and Sydney FC. But the Scotland international is suffering a shin splints injury, which may restrict his involvement in matches in the short-term.
Kyle Lafferty was given a shot as a lone striker against Sydney after Miller was withdrawn from the action. But the Northern Irishman pulled up with cramp in his calf on a sodden pitch, leaving him unable to make an impact.
Rangers boss Smith can also called upon Steven Naismith in attack, as well as youngster Andrew Little. But having lost Boyd, who contributed 26 goals last season, to Middlesbrough, a new hitman forms part of his limited shopping list.
