Rangers expert would be ‘very surprised’ if ‘natural goalscorer’ stays at Ibrox
Russell Martin may have to prioritise the signing of a new number nine at Rangers in the final weeks of the transfer window.
Rangers displays in the William Hill Premiership have been underwhelming, failing to win their opening two games for the first time in 35 years.
Martin’s future at Ibrox has already come under the scanner, but the 39-year-old arguably needs time to implement his ideas in G51.
While the Glaswegian outfit have signed multiple forwards this summer for the Scottish manager, they could potentially have to go back in the market for a number nine.
Hamza Igamane to leave Rangers this summer
LOSC Lille are expected to seal a deal for Hamza Igamane before the end of August, Scott Burns says.
The Scottish journalist would be “very surprised” to see the Morocco international still at Ibrox once the group stages of the European competitions start.
Burns feels the Glaswegian outfit will accept a decent bid for the 22-year-old from the Ligue 1 side, with Martin being allowed to sign a new striker.
Speaking on Hotline Live on 18 August, the journalist said: “I’d be very surprised if [Igamane] is a Rangers player by the time the group stages come along, whatever competition they’re in. They’re aware of strong interest from Lille, it’s never gone away. They’ve done stuff in the background, agreed a deal with the player, but they’ve never actually gone to Rangers with an acceptable offer.
“But I expect them to round that up and try to get a deal done. Whether they can get to the figures Rangers want, that’s another story, but I think if they get a decent bid, the likelihood is that they’ll take it and allow Martin to bring in his new striker.”
Read More: How much Ridvan Yilmaz sale could bank at Ibrox as exit ‘expected shortly’
Igamane transfer: Who can Martin sign as replacement at Ibrox?
Igamane’s sale at Ibrox could bring in an eight-figure sum, which would translate to a decent profit for the Gers.
The Light Blues have Cyriel Dessers and Danilo at their disposal, but they will undoubtedly need to find a quality replacement for the Moroccan youngster, who was described as a “natural goalscorer” by former teammate Ianis Hagi in January 2025, as relayed by BBC Sport.
Bojan Miovski could return to the William Hill Premiership soon after struggling at Girona, with his qualities on display at Aberdeen previously.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Danilo | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| Dessers | 55 | 29 | 7 |
Rangers also have Jamie Vardy on their radar, but it looks like Celtic could potentially pip their Old Firm rivals in the transfer race.
If Martin is left with Dessers and Danilo as his only centre-forward options for the 2025/26 campaign, fans will definitely be frustrated.
The Nigeria international’s inconsistency has troubled supporters for some time now, while the Brazilian striker’s consistent fitness issues are well known.
It will be interesting to see how Igamane’s situation will unfold at Ibrox.
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