6 emerging Rangers transfer headlines as shock return ruled out for 55 hero while £8.6m 'target' fumes at contract offer

Daily Record

4 days ago

It's been a hectic summer of activity at Ibrox and it's showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon
Russell Martin is just five days away from taking charge of Rangers in a competitive fixture for the first time and the former Southampton boss could be in for a real baptism of fire.
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Standing between Gers and a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League is Greek giants Panathinaikos, who haven't reached the group stages of the competition for 14 years.
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Ahead of the tie, Martin has revamped his side with no fewer than seven new faces, all of whom are expected to be officially named in the squad for the two legged clash with the 1971 European Cup finalists when the roster is locked in.
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And that spending spree is set to continue with Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell earmarking several key positions that still need reinforced.
Andrew Cavnenagh and 49ers Enterprises have pledged £20million into the transfer kitty but balancing the books is also essential and there are a number of players who could be shown the door before the end of the window.
Ianis Hagi
Romania Hagi left Rangers at the end of his contract last month but as of yet has yet to find a new club.
The midfielder has reportedly knocked back an offer from Polish outfit Legia Warsaw while interest in Italy and Germany is said to have cooled.
And the player's father - former Real Madrid and Barcelona superstar Gheorghe - has shot down shock rumours that the 26-year-old could make a quickfire return to Ibrox.
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He said: "I read that Ianis is returning to Rangers... Let's all be serious about this. He's gone there, he's closed that chapter in his career, he's closed it firmly. He did very well at Rangers. Don't forget that.
"He is a Romanian player who succeeded in an important country at a very big club. There's a lot of speculation, it's normal there is talk because he's a free agent.
"Ianis, from a young age, was raised to make decisions. He was raised to have a personality and make his own mind up. He will decide where he wants to go and even if we do consult and talk, the decision is 100 per cent his alone."
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Weslley Patati
Gers have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Brazilian winger Weslley Patati.
Their interest in his Maccabi Tel Aviv teammate Dor Turgeman has been well documented but Rangers are also said to have their eye on former Santos star Patati, who is also on the radar of Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar.
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Patati played a crucial role in Maccabi's title triumph last season with 13 goals and 10 assists and the latest reports in Israel claim that the player's representatives have been left furious about the terms of a new contract proposed to keep their star man.
The player is said to be valued by his club at £8.6m. A source told Ynet: "On the one hand, he is among the lowest earners on the team, and on the other hand, they want about ten million euros for him. That doesn't make sense, and therefore we are demanding a significant upgrade in his salary."
Hamza Igamane
Rangers star Hamza Igamane remains a target for Lille but up until now, the French club have been unwilling to meet the hefty £15million asking price.
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The Morocco international is back in training but Gers hero Derek Ferguson reckons that the player is far from happy and is just biding his time for an exit.
He told Ibrox News: "(Igamane) has not played in a couple of the friendlies now, and that tells me he's probably wanting to avoid injury.
"It gives the impression to me that he's not too happy at Rangers, to be honest with you, and you can perhaps take that back to the end of last season when he wasn't starting.
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"He's not a happy bunny, and I get the feeling that the culture in Scotland plays a part in that. If he's offered the chance to leave, I just feel he'd jump at it right now."
Robin Propper
One man who is almost certainly set to be moved on by Martin is defender Robin Propper.
The Dutchman is wanted by FC Twente just 12 months on after they sold the centre back to Rangers.
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And while the deal has reportedly up while Propper sorts out an arrangement over the remaining three years on his contract at Ibrox, Twente sporting director Jan Streuer remains confident that the transfer will go through.
He told RTV Oost (via VP): "It seems positive to me, I think so. That doesn't mean he'll come, because you never know in football. He didn't go to training camp with Rangers, but of course he could stay."
Luuk de Jong
Former Barcelona striker Luuk de Jong is said to be on Rangers' radar this summer.
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The Netherlands international banged in 14 goals on route to PSV Eindhoven's Eredivisie title last season but with his contract now up has been weighing up his options.
And now having signed another forward in Alassane Plea from Borussia Mochengladbach, PSV boss Peter Bosz appears ready to move on from trying to keep his 34-year-old captain.
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Speaking to De Telegraaf, he said: "I don't know if there's still room for Luuk. That's more of a club issue.
"I did say that I definitely wanted two strikers at the start of the season. We waited a long time for Luuk and haven't considered other strikers for a long time, but there came a time when we had to move on.
"We're now in week three of pre-season. I would have preferred to keep him. We know what we have in Luuk; I've worked wonderfully with him for two years. But we have to move on. Luuk's contract expires, and it's his right to sign a new contract or not. Or to wait.
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"But it's also our right to act accordingly at some point. If Luuk isn't here, we'll get a different captain. But if Luuk stays, he'll be my captain."
Ishe Samuel-Smith
Gers were touted with loan interest in Chelsea youngster Ishe Samuels-Smith earlier in the month to provide additional cover in the left back deparment.
But the England youth international is reportedly in talks to join the Premier League side's sister club Strasbourg, who are also owned by Todd Boehly's BlueCo group.
football.london report that the Ligue 1 team are expected to launch a permanent bid to land the defender this week.