OVIE Ejaria looks set to leave Rangers and return to his parent club Liverpool after growing unsettled in Glasgow.

Ejaria, the 21-year-old who has played 28 games for the Ibrox club since joining them on a season-long loan back in June, didn’t travel to Austria for the Europa League game against Rapid Vienna this week.

Steven Gerrard, whose side lost 1-0 in the Allianz Stadium on Thursday night to miss out on a place in the last 32 of the competition, spoke to both the player and Liverpool yesterday afternoon.

But the 38-year-old admitted the midfielder, who was reprimanded after turning up late for training last month, could return to Anfield.

Asked if he was worried he would lose Ejaria, Gerrard said: “Sitting here right now, it’s a concern.

“At times he has looked fantastic, but I think his form has dipped slightly. Ovie is a very quiet kid, he doesn’t give you much. He’s a young kid, he’s living away from his family.

“The reality is he’s a Liverpool players and Liverpool have almost got to take charge of this. Yes, we’ve got a loan situation with Ovie, but we wouldn’t keep a kid who was unhappy.

“I wouldn’t stand in any kid’s way whether he was signed with us or on loan. I want players here who are committed and want to help and want to play here.”

Meanwhile, Gerrard, who revealed that Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq has returned to his parent club Roma after failing to score in four first team appearances, admitted he would look to bring in quality players in forward positions in during next month’s transfer window.

“For us to come again and improve on this journey we certainly need to add to the squad,” he said.

“We need to bring a bit more quality in and whether we can attract them or afford them that’s a different story.

“But if we are to have any ambition of getting beyond the group stages or even having a crack at the Champions League then we have to keep trying to recruit well and trying to add quality. We need to improve on the quality we have.”

Gerrard added: “I think at the top end of the pitch it’s clear to me that we’re a bit short in terms of numbers.

“We’ve done well, but the reality is we are at a club where we need to keep moving. We need to keep pushing. I need to keep pushing in all kinds of different areas to try and make us better.

“I’m satisfied with our journey in Europe and I’m proud of it, but I’m also disappointed that we couldn’t get to the last 32. I’m hungry to improve and grow, that’s the way I am and that’s the way it is.

“I don’t think we need drastic changes in the next window. I think it’s more important to get some help in terms of quality. We need to add more quality to the current players. They need help in the dressing room in certain areas of the pitch.

“January is a complicated window. A lot of teams don’t want to let players go, inflation comes to prices. It’s very difficult. But the next two windows are very important for us as a team, I’m very aware of that.”