Rangers transfer update: Michael Beale done with Antonio Colak as push continues after Cyriel Dessers deal
Michael Beale appears to be done with the services of Antonio Colak in his Rangers plans as he continues to chase attacking signings this summer.
The Ibrox boss had indicated that he would like to see a fully fit version of the Croatian prove himself in preseason alongside “two or three” new arrivals as the previous campaign ended, with Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent leaving.
But after signing Sam Lammers for around £3million and wrapping up a loan move for Brighton’s Abdallah Sima Beale has continued to push for further additions.
Fabrizio Romano reported a long-awaited breakthrough on Cyriel Dessers on Friday (30 June), and the subsequent update from Sky Sports looks to have put the writing on the wall for Colak’s Rangers future.
While reporting that a “deal in principle” is now in place for the Nigerian international who was a “key target” for Beale, the report added that there was still interest in Feyenoord striker Danilo.
The Gers had an opening bid rejected earlier in the week (27 June) with there thought to be a large gap between the offer and the Eredivisie side’s asking price.
The chances of success in adding the “exciting” Brazilian to the ranks on top of Dessers, Sima, and Lammers may not be high, but even the intent to attempt it is bad news for Colak.
He can consider himself to be particularly unlucky to apparently have such a shaky position at Ibrox considering his return of 18 goals in all competitions, despite an injury-hit campaign, is a strong return for his first season in Scotland.
Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor questioned Colak’s future despite his “unbelievable” start to the season, when speaking to GIVEMESPORT (26 June), and the answer is becoming ever-clearer.
Beale hasn’t been disrespectful to the 28-year-old, but doesn’t appear to see him as the sort of player that he is looking for in the way he wants Rangers to play.
When a club changes managers in a short space of time, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst barely lasting a year, signings under the short-lived boss are always at risk, and that looks to be the case with Colak.
It isn’t entirely impossible that he remains for next season, but Beale looks intent on continuing to sign firepower over and above the three arrivals he had mooted and that is going to leave a smaller and smaller gap for the Croatian to perform.
If a club puts an offer on the table in the coming weeks it would be absolutely no surprise to see Rangers accept and Colak’s Ibrox career end after a year.
And given how much incoming business the manager wants to do, with the signing of Jose Cifuentes still expected in the near future and pursuits of central defenders proving too expensive so far, he would likely be hoping for a bid to be tabled so he can use the cash for his own targets.
In other Rangers news, the striker isn’t the only man at risk as the Light Blues will “undoubtedly” now consider offers for a second 2022 signing.