Scout reacts to what he’s seen Rangers target Nobel Mendy do as Ibrox deal lined up
Rangers have already made a number of first-team signings this summer, but their business is not yet over.
Strengthening the Rangers defence has been the priority for Russell Martin and he has been backed by the hierarchy.
Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez have all sealed moves to the Light Blues.
However, Robin Propper and Leon Balogun have parted ways with the club and Ridvan Yilmaz appears set to leave Ibrox.
This Ibrox News article includes quotes from an exclusive interview with Scandinavian football scout Kai Watson
Kai Watson gushes over Nobel Mendy
With Yilmaz leaving, Martin will be a left-back short in a campaign that his side are competing on multiple fronts.
Jefte has also reached a verbal agreement to leave Rangers, and if that move goes through, it becomes imperative to sign a new full-back.
Real Betis defender Nobel Mendy looks set to join Gers, becoming their fourth defensive signing of the window.
Rangers Review’s Chris Jack reported on 14 August that the 20-year-old has already undergone his medical ahead of a move to the Glasgow outfit.
- He made two appearances in La Liga last season for Betis
- Mendy featured twice in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- The defender is yet to earn a cap for the Senegal national team
Kai Watson, a scout at Finnish club SJK Seinajoki, has waxed lyrical over the Senegalese centre-back who also can play at left-back.
He told Ibrox News: “He’s quick and powerful both on and off the ball.
“Mendy has a really good range of passing and is capable of both breaking the lines and opening the game up with long switches of play.
“He’s strong in the air and reads the game well, but is inexperienced at the top level, given he spent most of his time in the Spanish third tier last season.
“He did impressively in the Conference League Semi-Final against Fiorentina when he replaced Marc Bartra, but it will be interesting to see if he can sustain that level over a whole season.”
Mendy need a few weeks of adjustment before he can play every game for Rangers
As he’s got limited senior appearances under his belt, it makes sense to give Mendy a few weeks before he fully adapts to the rigours of the Scottish game.
Martin’s system demands a lot from his full-backs, which is where the 20-year-old is likely to feature, so it’s wise to ease him in.
Hopefully for Gers fans, he ends up being a shrewd acquisition who is part of their defence for years to come.
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