Rangers transfer round-up: Martin to battle Celtic as last-minute deals mooted
Russell Martin has had a busy few weeks since he was appointed as Rangers’ new boss.
The former Southampton and Swansea boss has been working with Kevin Thelwell to strengthen the Rangers squad ahead of their crucial upcoming UEFA Champions League qualification tie.
Rangers have already secured several new additions, as the Gers prepare for what could be a huge couple of weeks in the context of their season.
With that in mind, Ibrox News rounds up all the latest transfer news coming out of Govan.
Sheffield Wednesday takeover could have derailed Djeidi Gassama
Djeidi Gassama has joined the ranks at Ibrox after an impressive season for Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
The winger completed a move from the Championship side last week, but it has now emerged that the Owls’ ongoing issues behind the scenes could have derailed Rangers’ attempts to secure his signature.
Dan Plumley spoke exclusively to Ibrox News and revealed that the deal to sign Gassama is a very good one from the Gers’ perspective.
He also added that Wednesday were likely to put a block on players leaving the club if they had been taken over during negotiations, which could have resulted in the deal falling through.
Rangers battling Celtic for Andrej Bacanin transfer
Martin and Co. are understood to be preparing to take on their bitter rivals to try and secure the signing of Serbian youngster Andrej Bacanin.
FK Cukaricki sporting director Vladimir Matijsevic revealed to his club’s website (20 July) that the pair of Glasgow giants are going head-to-head to land the 18-year-old.
Udinese and Ajax are also showing an interest in the midfielder, and his club chief has revealed that several clubs have already made calls to check on his availability.
Matijsevic also added that he “expects the transfer to be realised in the next ten days.”
Keith Jackson moots signings before UEFA deadline
The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson has mooted (21 July) that Rangers could confirm as many as two additions at the final hour before their upcoming Champions League tie.
UEFA’s registration deadline for the two-legged clash is late on Monday (21 July) night, and Jackson has suggested that the Gers could yet have more incomings ready to take on Panathinaikos at Ibrox on Tuesday (22 July).
Rangers’ clash with the Greek giants could have a huge impact on their season, such is the prize money available if they could ultimately reach the competition’s group stage.
Martin may now be keen to try and conclude some last-minute business, to give him and his squad a final boost ahead of their big night.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.