Rangers are fortunate enough to have Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem on loan until January at the very least.

If the move is going well and he isn’t needed back in north London, Zelalem could stay in Glasgow until the end of the season as he looks to step up his development.

The midfielder is a brilliant passer of the ball already, that much was obvious when he was just 16 years old, and has explained that Arsenal are keen to see him develop in other areas during his time north of the border.

“(Rangers manager) Mark Warburton has told me I need to work on my defensive game, trying to get up to the ball quicker and tracking my runners – all stuff you have to do at the top level, especially in the Premier League,” Zelalem told rangers.co.uk.

“That was what he was saying to me in those pictures of us sitting down on the training field, that Arsenal know I am good on the ball and creating chances but they want to see more from me defensively.” 

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Ranger manager Mark Warburton takes a break from training to speak to Gedion Zelalem. (Source: rangers.co.uk)

Should he develop physically and really grow his understanding of playing without the ball, Zelalem should be primed for the Arsenal first-team as early as next season. Arsenal play with two deep midfielders so Zelalem would have to do his fair share of defensive work in order to stake a claim for a place in Wenger’s side.

Alternatively he could prove to be a backup for Mesut Özil’s role behind the striker, but he is better suited to being involved in the game further back and you would hope he can really bring that side of the game on during his loan spell.

“It helps that the manager talks to you individually so that you know what he wants from you, especially as a young player,” the midfielder added.

It’s great to have a coach who you can trust as a young player and Warburton clearly thinks very highly of Zelalem. This loan move seems to be working on every level.