Rangers must pounce as Gijs Smal faces take it or leave it contract ultimatum
You get the sense that Rangers are going to be active right up until the last minute of this January transfer window.
Fabio Silva has already arrived on loan from Wolves this month and a deal to sign Mohamed Diomande from Nordsjaelland within the next few days should be done according to Four Lads Had A Dream.
Of course, an out-and-out striker would be most welcome (Lawrence Shankland anyone?) and there is still a lot of uncertainty at left-back.
Borna Barisic is out of contract in the summer and Ridvan Yilmaz’s future is extremely unclear with journalist Yakup Cinar, who was speaking on TGRT Haber on Saturday (20 January), saying Galatasaray want him as their number-one target at full-back.
One player linked with a move to Ibrox to try and add depth in this problem area is 26-year-old Dutchman Gijs Smal, who is currently at Eredivisie side FC Twente.
The Daily Record reported in its print edition on January 10 that Smal had been offered a new deal at the club with his present contract due to expire in the summer.
However, AD’s Twente reporter Leon ten Voorde told the De Warming Up podcast, in quotes reported by the Daily Record (21 January), that Smal is now facing an ultimatum from Twente.
He said: “FC Twente have said ‘Take it or leave it.’
“Twente is a big club, and he wasn’t sold in the summer. He is completely free to go where he wants. If he wants to leave on a free transfer in the summer, that is up to him. It is his choice, his career, but the club is still there.”
There is clearly a lot of uncertainty for Smal but what is certain is that Rangers have a problem to solve at left-back.
Theoretically, they could cash-in on Yilmaz, try to strike a deal for Smal and still have some funds left to put towards other targets.
It sounds like now is absolutely the time to pounce for Rangers and Philippe Clement.
In other Rangers news, Gary Keown has torn Rangers chief John Bennett to shreds after a ‘jaw-dropping’ Ibrox turn of events.
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