Rangers handed boost in pursuit of Kendouci as transfer request is filed
ES Setif midfielder Ahmed Kendouci has reportedly handed in a transfer request at the Algeria club with Rangers in the hunt to sign the 22-year-old. [DZ Foot]
According to the Daily Record, Kendouci wants the chance to leave the Algerian champions with a potential move to Scotland on the cards with Celtic also monitoring the situation.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst reacted to the news that Celtic were after the 22-year-old and hopes that Rangers’ table-topping form will be enough to sway him to the Light Blues.
ES Setif manager Nabil Kouk doesn’t want to see Kendouci leave however saying: “Last season, we missed out on the title because we sold important players in the transfer window. I very much hope and expect that it won’t happen this time.
“The board of this club must make a statement that we should keep our best players and indeed, strengthen the squad.
“So I very much hope Ahmed Kendouci remains with the club despite the recent speculation,” as quoted by the Daily Record.
Player power
Kouk’s comments would usually deter a club from trying to sign a player but there are special circumstances in this situation.
With ES Setif playing in Algeria, Kendouci is currently unavailable to play in the World’s biggest competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.
That is an opportunity that Rangers can provide him and with the Algerian side only asking for £1million [Daily Record], it wouldn’t break the bank to bring him to Ibrox.
It is something certainly worth looking into but there will be questions over of he can make the step up from North Africa to Scotland and still perform as well as he has been.
In other Rangers news, Jermain Defoe has revealed the happiness of a Rangers star.