Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic has now spent three years at Ibrox. The 24-year-old made the switch from Slaven Belupo at the start of the 2018/19 season and he was a first-team regular up until last campaign.
The Croatian international has, however, spent twelve months on the sidelines with a knee injury, and fans on Twitter are hoping he will be returning to action ahead of his fourth season at the club:
Is he ever coming back. ?
— TweetyPie (@woebetideme) June 12, 2021
He looks like an absolute unit, hopefully next season we see the best of the big fella ?
— Keep Believing (@stewartsutherl1) June 12, 2021
Be like a new signing next season when he is back.
— Keith Blades (@KeithBlades5) June 12, 2021
The Croatian prince ?????
— JohnJames Robertson (@JUDSTER53) June 12, 2021
When he going to be back been that long thought we sold him
— Trozjann (@DreadSquadz) June 12, 2021
New deal please ?
— Keep Believing (@stewartsutherl1) June 12, 2021
Can't wait to see him back in the squad
— ??? (@antherblankface) June 12, 2021
Katic will face fierce competition for a starting berth when he does make his first-team comeback. Connor Goldson and Filip Helander have struck up an excellent centre-back partnership, while Leon Balogun’s performances have been impressive.
With Jack Simpson also arriving from Bournemouth in the January transfer window, and George Edmundson having returned from his loan spell at Derby County, it means there are now five centre-half to choose from.
Manager Steven Gerrard could even add to those numbers, with reports of interest in Elfsborg’s Joseph Okumu so Katic may have his work cut out.