Anthony Onifade

Tue 4 July 2023 9:10, UK

Rangers transfer target Josh Maja favours a return to England this summer after his contract expired at Bordeaux, handing Michael Beale a fresh blow in his pursuit of another striker.

Beale is set to complete the signing of Nigerian Cyriel Dessers within the coming days with the Cremonese striker set to undergo a medical at Ibrox, and it is believed that Beale is desperate to add another to his ranks according to The Scottish Sun [4 July].

Maja, who was the fourth-highest scorer in Ligue 2 last season, has long been a target for Rangers this summer with Football Scotland reporting on 12 June that Rangers would be interested in bringing Maja to the club after his contract expired at Bordeaux on 30 June.

However, in a crushing new blow for Beale and his aspirations for a new striker, Maja now looks to be a pipe dream at Ibrox.

According to journalist Darren Witcoop, taking to his personal Twitter account [4 July], the former Fulham striker is keen on a return to England instead with the 24-year-old also generating interest from Germany and Spain for his talented services.

He wrote: “Josh Maja is keen on a return to English football after leaving Bordeaux on a free.

“The striker has interest from clubs in Germany and Spain but would prefer heading back home for another spell having previously played for Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke.”

Rangers are certainly in statement transfer window territory, looking to seal their sixth signing of the summer in Dessers and clearly going for another, with The Scottish Sun reporting on 4 July, that the Gers are looking to return with a bid for Feyenoord Danilo after they previously had a £3.5m bid rejected.

With the Dutch giants demanding £7m for the Brazilian to depart this summer, it seemed unlikely Rangers would be willing to shell out as much as the figure, which will have made Maja as stunning fall-back option should the Light Blues fail in their approach for Danilo.

And the 24-year-old may well have represented such stunning business for Beale alongside the additions of Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima and Dessers now set to walk through the Ibrox doors.

The Gers desperately need a reliable goalscorer in their ranks for next season, and Maja proved as much last season for Bordeaux, registering a whopping 16 goals and six assists from 38 French Ligue 2 games, proving why he was ready for the next step up in his career.

Ibrox may well have been that next push for him in his career, but his desire to seek a return to English football is perfectly understandable given his previous struggles there for Fulham in the early years of his career.

Should all else fail in their pursuit of Danilo, just who will Beale turn to secure that coveted third striker signing of the summer?

In other Rangers news, five academy starlets get first-team opportunities in pre-season.