A tumultuous season is over for Glasgow Rangers, so the post-mortem can begin at Ibrox, with another seismic summer in store for the Old Firm side.
Danny Rohl’s position looks secure by all accounts, despite his club’s recent slump, however there will be plenty of change in the other direction, with James Tavernier leading the way when it comes to moves.
The long-serving captain was part of a group of defenders who netted 43 goals in the Premier League last season, more than any other member of the top four, with the Gers having netted at least two goals in each of their last seven league games.
|
Last seven SPFL matches |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The guards |
Celtic |
Hearts |
|
4-2 (W) |
1-2 (W) |
2-2 (D) |
|
3-6 (W) |
1-0 (W) |
3-1 (W) |
|
2-3 (L) |
3-1 (W) |
1-2 (W) |
|
2-1 (L) |
1-2 (W) |
2-1 (W) |
|
3-1 (L) |
3-1 (W) |
1-1 (D) |
|
1-2 (L) |
2-3 (W) |
3-0 (W) |
|
2-5 (W) |
3-1 (W) |
3-1 (L) |
That is not a record that can be maintained if the Light Blues are to challenge for the title again in 2026/27, with a back line in need of major strengthening.
Rangers are in ongoing talks to sign the £4m-rated defender
Tavernier is heading for the exit door, as will Max Aarons, Jayden Meghoma, Derek Cornelius and Nasser Djiga, the latter of whom has not really boosted his hopes of a permanent stay following a shaky final few weeks of the campaign.
Considering the Gers are already light in defense as it is, more new signings will be needed in that department, especially if interest grows in £30m star Emmanuel Fernandez.
Reports earlier this week suggested that, with Fernandez’s exit in mind, Rangers were studying a bid for fellow Nigerian, Akpe Victory, and SportsBoom gave us the latest on that interest.
According to the report, the Glasgow outfit are ‘very close’ to submitting a bid for the 19-year-old, with the likes of Benfica, Viktoria Plzen and Basel also in the running for his signature.
Costing around €5m (£4m), the proposal is that Victory’s current side, Zalaegerszegi, could be opened for funding, provided its valuation is met.
This report also notes that the petitioners, and the Rangers among them, ‘always call to ask’, suggesting that there should always be discussions.
Why Victory could be another Bassey in the making at Ibrox
Recruitment has been very difficult in recent times at Ibrox, but there have been significant success stories, be it the signing of Hamza Igamane, the aforementioned Fernandez or Calvin Bassey before that.
In Bassey’s case, Rangers splashed out just £230k to sign the then-youngster from Leicester City’s youth team in 2020, with the left-footer having yet to emerge as a big man.
Two years later, he was sold to Ajax for a club record deal of £19.6m, following a Man of the Match performance in the Europa League final in Seville, he quickly became a major asset to the Premiership club.
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It would be a similar gamble if Rohl and co were to invest in Victory, considering he is only 19, although all signs point to him enjoying his rapid rise in the coming years.
He only moved to Zalaegerszegi in January, yet is already being cited as “one of the best young defenders currently playing outside of Europe’s top 10 leagues”, according to Hungarian journalist Bence Bocsak.
In Bocsak’s view, any club that managed to secure a deal for the youngster would be getting “an absolute gem”, apparently Victory has done a solid job in less than six months with his current side.
A potential future team-mate for both Fernandez and Bassey at international level for Nigeria, the £4m man is still in the infancy of his big career, making just 48 club appearances so far, during his time in Hungary and Lithuania.
Such a lack of experience was not a problem for Bassey, however, with the 26-year-old now proving useful thanks to his ability to prove himself both as a full-back and at full-back at Ibrox.
In Victory’s case, he is a full-back by trade, but he can offer his versatility, having moved into a defensive back role in recent seasons.
A tall, athletic, in-demand talent is not easy to get around, as evidenced by the fact that he has been fouled just 0.3 times per game this season in Hungary, winning 62% of all duels and 65% of his aerials.
In Bocsak’s view, “he won’t be in Hungary for long”, and Glasgow could be a good place if he wishes to follow in Bassey’s footsteps.
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