Rangers £15m Igamane deal could be derailed by what ex-coach has said
Hamza Igamane’s future is developing into one of the major transfer stories of the summer at Rangers.
The Moroccan enjoyed a promising first season in Govan last time out, but could already be in line for a move elsewhere just one summer after joining the Bears.
Igamane had agreed on personal terms with Lille and had also reached a verbal agreement that he would sign for the French giants.
However, with Rangers still adamant that the 22-year-old won’t leave unless their valuation is met, a deal still seems some way from completion.
Billy Dodds doesn’t think Igamane is worth £15m
Rangers have slapped a £15million price tag on Igamane, which is a fee fitting of the potential that the North African has shown in the space of just 12 months at Ibrox.
In the Bears’ squad, only Cyriel Dessers outscored the youngster in the Premiership last time out, but it has seemed likely that he will be leaving the club before next season gets underway.
| Cyriel Dessers | 18 |
| Hamza Igamane | 12 |
| Vaclav Cerny | 12 |
| Danilo | 5 |
| Ianis Hagi (+4 more) | 4 |
However, former Rangers coach Billy Dodds has now made a claim which could potentially derail a potential move for Igamane. The 56-year-old was part of Barry Ferguson’s coaching team, and feels that £15m is an excessive price for the frontman at this moment in his career.
“He has got so much talent, and I think he has got to do more for the team,” Dodds told the Daily Record (6 July).
“I would probably pay a few million, but I don’t know if I would go as high as £15m to be honest with you.
“I hope that doesn’t put Lille off signing him. He has so much raw talent and is so strong.
“As he gets older he will probably learn how to play for the team more, but he is a great lad, a funny lad – but he still has a bit to learn.”
Rangers need an end to the Igamane saga
While the sale of Igamane would undoubtedly bring a hefty boost to Rangers’ transfer budget, they cannot afford to continue stalling the deal with Lille for the sake of a few million.
The Ligue 1 outfit are not far from meeting the Bears’ valuation, and it may be that they are forced to agree to a compromise in order to help them elsewhere.
Martin faces something of a baptism of fire at Ibrox with the crucial Champions League qualifying tie with Panathinaikos on the horizon towards the end of the month (22 July), and they will surely need to seek a solution to the saga over Igamane’s future well before then.
With Dessers hotly tipped to depart as well, Martin won’t want to be without both of his current first-choice strikers for the tie.
However, if Igamane is to leave, the new boss will be desperate to sort a replacement out ahead of their European date, which is unlikely to be possible if Rangers don’t seal the sale swiftly.
Being stubborn in their demands for their key players will help Rangers in the future, but on this occasion, they may be better served settling for marginally less.