Rangers make approach to seal Ballo transfer as Martin spree continues
Russell Martin is set to continue his spending spree at Rangers with the signing of Wolfsberger AC winger Thierno Ballo.
The Gers have already completed deals for Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and Thelo Aasgaard as the ex-Southampton manager looks to strengthen his squad after a miserable campaign last time out.
The Light Blues are also closing in on the signing of Sheffield Wednesday winger Djeidi Gassama, and could be set to add another attacker to their ranks with Ballo.
Rangers make Ballo approach as Euro clubs circle
The Ibrox outfit are keen to stregthen their attack having already made significant progress at the other end of the pitch.
Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg (9 July) claimed that the Gers are among the clubs to have made an enquiry about Ballo.
It states that Mainz and Ajax are also in the race and talks are ongoing on the Austria international.
Ballo can shine at Rangers
The Gers lost their most dangerous attacking player at the end of last season, as right-winger Vaclav Cerny’s loan deal expired.
Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane could depart in the near future, so new additions to the forward line are vital if Martin’s side are going to compete with Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title.
| Stats (Austrian Bundesliga) | Ballo |
| Matches | 31 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Minutes played | 2,465 |
Ballo is primarily a left-winger but can also operate as an attacking midfielder or number nine, and his pace would cause problems for defenders in Scotland.
He has an impressive goalscoring record in Austria with 22 goals and nine assists in 59 matches in the last two seasons, and could see those numbers skyrocket in Scotland.
The Auchenhowie outfit have succeeded when shopping in underrated markets in recent years, with the likes of Igamane, Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande shining in the Scottish game after being picked up for small fees.
It is vital that they continue that strategy as it will be the quickest way to catch up with arch-rivals Celtic, who finished 17 points ahead of the G51 outfit last season.
If they can take advantage of markets like Austria, that could accelerate their journey back to the top and make it a less painful journey than it was supposed to be.
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