OPINION
Newcastle United starlet Rolando Aarons has had a frustrating career so far, being lauded as the club’s next big thing before a series of unfortunate events has seen him stall badly in the search for a breakthrough.
The 22-year-old winger has not played first-team football for the Magpies since December last year, and a loan spell in Serie A with Hellas Verona yielded just 11 appearances in all competitions.
A number of injuries had slowed his progress before that, and a prolonged off-field issue seemed to knock even more wind out of his sails last season.
With the EFL and European transfer deadline fast approaching, Aarons is still yet to secure a move away from Newcastle as he searches for first-team football, and he must move quickly if he wants to avoid rotting in the reserves for another six months.
One team that are reportedly interested in his services are Rangers, currently managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
According to the Mirror, Gerrard is ready to battle AEK Athens and Hull City for Aarons’ signature, with Benitez willing to let the winger leave on a temporary basis.
While the main priority will remain securing any loan deal for the attacker, Benitez must attempt to push Aarons towards Rangers and his former player Gerrard.
The prospect of playing for such a club clearly outweighs any other option on the table for Aarons, who would be giving his career the best chance of revival with such a move.
Ibrox is one of the biggest stages in British football, and the chance to work under an up-and-coming manager like Gerrard makes the move even more enticing.
Gerrard has assembled a young squad with several loan players involved, meaning that Aarons would have a good chance of breaking into the team.
This is clearly a fantastic opportunity for Aarons and one that Benitez should now look to utilise his relationship with Gerrard to make a reality.
Newcastle would also likely reap the rewards in the long-term, with Aarons sure to return a better and more mature player.
