Nils Koppen set to repeat Hamza Igamane transfer masterclass at Rangers
Nils Koppen could pull off a transfer masterstroke at Rangers by replacing Hamza Igamane with an equally obscure transfer target.
The Gers turned heads with their £1.7million purchase of Igamane from Moroccan outfit FAR Rabat in the summer, but he has since displaced Cyriel Dessers as the leading man at Ibrox after his goalscoring exploits in the Europa League in particular.
TBR Football reported on Tuesday [17 December] that Everton are strong admirers of the 22-year-old, with Premier League sides West Ham, Bournemouth, Brentford, Fulham and Newcastle United also monitoring his development.
However, Koppen is up to his old tricks again, and his efforts have taken him to the South African Premiership with Mamelodi Sundowns forward Iqraam Rayners a genuine January transfer target [SNL24] in what could be an exciting update.
Rangers could replace Hamza Igamane with Iqraam Rayners
Igamane has been a shining light for Rangers amid an abysmal domestic campaign in Scotland, with the 22-year-old tearing through the Europa League with three goals and one assist in his last two outings.
Both appearances were against top-level opposition as he single-handedly manufactured a 4-1 win against Ligue 1 outfit Nice before scoring the all-important opener in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham, wherein Everton scouts were in attendance.
The Gers may be powerless to stop the Moroccan international from departing for the Premier League only six months after his arrival, but still, Koppen would be able to demand a healthy profit to fund his replacement.
Rangers supporters can be forgiven for not knowing Rayners, but the 29-year-old has been prolific in his native South Africa for the past two seasons.
His 17 goals for Stellenbosch last term earned him a move to 17-time South African champions Sundowns, where he has continued his stellar form, netting 12 goals in 16 appearances.
Considering the last time Sundowns received a transfer fee for a player was the £1.2m sale of winger Cassius Mailula to MLS side Toronto last year, the Gers could acquire their Igamane replacement for a fraction of the cost.
Koppen worked wonders in bringing the then-unknown Igamane to Ibrox; could he repeat the trick again?
In other Rangers news, the Gers could replay the Scottish League Cup final against Celtic after a bombshell Willie Collum admission.
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