Rangers FC signed Lassana Coulibaly from Angers on a season-long loan deal before the start of the season.
And during the first few months, Coulibaly played a key role in the Rangers midfield but since then a dip in form has seen the Mali midfielder fall down the pecking order.
During the first half of the season, the Gers manager had plans to sign Lassana Coulibaly permanently at the end of the season but now the manager claims that he has had a change of mind.
Here’s why:
Gerrard said: “We still rate Lassana. But competition for midfield places is intense.
“In the first four or five months of the season, Lassana was consistent. But then he had a couple of injuries and a family issue that we believe hit him a bit.
“He came off his form for a spell but in the last couple of weeks, he’s shown signs of how he was at the beginning.
“We’ve learned pretty quickly that domestic and European games are very different here. You need different types of players for different challenges.
“There’s certainly a place and a part for Lassana to play between now and the
end of the season. But there’s no guarantee with loan players that you can get them back or if they’ll be available.
“The price tag for Lassana could be prohibitive. It’s a big consideration.
“We like the player but there’s a lot of things involved. Price, salary, his contract at Angers (two years left) and whether there will be
interest from other clubs. It’s a complicated one but we do like him.
“At the same time, you have to cover yourself and signing Kamara was a
no-brainer for us.
“He and Coulibaly could play together but one is maybe suited for a certain type of game and the other for a different type.
“I believe we have a really good variety of midfielder at Rangers now.
“We have created a competition, where they’re desperate to play, so they all need to be in form.”
Right now, Gerrard has a loaded midfield so there is no point in spending a great deal of money on Lassana Coulibaly unless the player can show significant progress during the remainder of the season.
