Rangers news round-up: Igamane update emerges as Martin punishment revealed
Russell Martin and Hamza Igamane have been in the news as Rangers prepare for the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos.
The Gers will face the Greek outfit at Ibrox on 22 July before travelling to Athens for the second leg.
Igamane has been attracting a lot of interest in the ongoing transfer window, and it isn’t surprising to see more teams enter the race for him.
As for Martin, the Scottish manager has been busy preparing the Light Blues at St George’s Park during pre-season and has already stamped his authority.
LOSC Lille haven’t made Igamane offer yet as Feyenoord also want transfer from Rangers
LOSC Lille haven’t submitted an offer yet for Igamane to the Gers, according to Sebastien Denis.
The Foot Mercato journalist revealed on X (20 July) that Feyenoord are the latest team to enter the race for the Morocco international and are monitoring his situation at Ibrox.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Scottish Premiership | 33 | 12 | 1 |
| Europa League | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Scottish Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Premier Sports Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 |
It’s been claimed that the 22-year-old has also emerged as a target for Everton and Udinese, and Rennes have him as a top target to replace Arnaud Kalimuendo.
The former AS FAR centre-forward made a name for himself at the Glaswegian outfit last season, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.
Martin punished squad at St George’s Park for rule breach
Martin punished the Light Blues’ squad for an unspecified rule breach during pre-season, according to the Sunday Mail.
Hugh Keevins wrote in the news outlet’s print edition (20 July, page 57) that the Scottish manager decided to “run his players into submission” after an unspecified issue last week.
The former Southampton head coach has a massive task on his hands at the Bears, with fans expecting immediate success in G51.
While it won’t be easy to beat Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier, the ex-Saints boss will undoubtedly want to prove his worth immediately.
Rangers baffle with just one Ibrox friendly as defence has been shocking
Rangers should have set up more than one friendly at home during pre-season, Gary Keown says.
The journalist is baffled by the Gers’ recent preparations, as their shocking defending against Club Brugge and Barnsley has been heavily criticised.
Keown feels the Light Blues still have a lot of work to do as Martin tries to implement his ideas after being appointed the new head coach.
The journalist wrote in the Scottish Daily Mail (20 July, page 77): “Couldn’t they have employed a bit of forward thinking and set up more than just one Ibrox friendly against Brugge?
“It’s hard to judge what’s been going on in pre-season. The 2-2 draw with Brugge came incredibly early and was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde affair with one awful 45 minutes and one half-decent one.
“One thing’s for sure. The goals lost against Brugge and in that 1-1 draw with Barnsley at St George’s Park were absolutely shocking.
“Serious work needs done on the backline and, although the idea of Joe Rothwell shoring up midfield and allowing Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin to get forwards sounds fine, up front looks a mess.”
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