Rangers ‘to sign Neraysho Kasanwirjo now’ after shock twist away from Ibrox
Neraysho Kasanwirjo has unexpectedly come back into the fray at Rangers after missing most of the season due to injury.
The Dutchman showed a lot of promise after moving to Ibrox on a season-long loan from Feyenoord last summer, but received a major setback just two months into his stay in Glasgow.
Kasanwirjo was sidelined for an extended period after suffering a serious knee injury in November, much to his and Rangers‘ frustration.
It appeared his season and even his spell with the Light Blues was over, with the Premiership heavyweights then signing Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille to fill the void.
Kasanwirjo scores for Rangers B v Celtic
However, in a sudden twist of events, Kasanwirjo has emerged from the dead to claw his way back into the frame at Rangers.
It is fair to say that the 23-year-old has become a forgotten figure in Govan due to his injury, but he was surprisingly named in the starting line-up to face Celtic in the Glasgow Cup final at Firhill on Tuesday, 29 April.
Stevie Smith was able to use Kasanwirjo’s experience as his Rangers B team locked horns with their Old Firm rivals for cup glory.
Barry Ferguson was among those in attendance for the game, as the defender made his first competitive appearance in almost six months.
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And Kasanwirjo marked his return in style, putting Rangers in front just 33 minutes into the game.
The ball fell to the Feyenoord loanee in the box, allowing him to set himself up for a shot before finding the bottom-left corner with a right-footed strike.
Kasanwirjo to seal Ibrox switch amid takeover
Kasanwirjo’s goal turned out to be Rangers’ only goal of the game, with the teams playing out a 1-1 draw.
This meant that the game went into penalties, only for Smith’s side to emerge as the winners.
Meanwhile, Kasanwirjo will now be hopeful of earning his way into Ferguson’s plans for the remaining games of the season.
His return also sparks talks about making his loan move from Feyenoord permanent.
The Gers are notably in the midst of a takeover by the US consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh, but Patrick Stewart has a decision to make regarding Kasanwirjo.
Rangers have the option to buy the right-back for just over £1.5million, and it would not be a surprise if they went on to trigger the clause now.