Russell Martin has caused Rangers ‘major problem’ in Hamza Igamane negotiations
Russell Martin didn’t help his cause after taking aim at Hamza Igamane as Rangers drew 1-1 against St Mirren on Sunday.
Rangers dropped more points against St Mirren on 24 August, failing to win their first three league games for the first time in 36 years.
Martin revealed post-match that Igamane refused to come on as a substitute after claiming to have picked up an injury, something the former Southampton boss didn’t seem convinced about.
The 39-year-old head coach also revealed that a bid was rejected for the Morocco international, but it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
Rangers stand weak in Hamza Igamane transfer negotiations after Russell Martin reveal
Martin’s decision to go public with Igamane’s refusal to come on as a substitute may have consequences for the Gers during transfer negotiations, Calum Crowe says.
The Daily Mail journalist believes the Light Blues have a “major problem” after the Scottish manager’s post-match comments after the St Mirren draw, weakening their position in potential discussions for the 22-year-old striker’s exit from Ibrox this summer.
Crowe feels interested clubs like LOSC Lille now know that the centre-forward may not want to be in G51, and it seems unlikely that the Glaswegian outfit will get the £15million they were holding out for earlier in the window.
The journalist wrote in the Daily Mail on 25 August: “But there’s a major problem for Martin and Rangers. With the manager choosing to go nuclear rather than keeping it in-house, he has weakened the club’s hand in any negotiations.
“If Lille or any other club come back with another offer, they do so armed with the knowledge that Rangers have an unhappy player in the camp who desperately wants out. At the start of the summer, Rangers were holding out for a fee of around £15m for Igamane. But a fee in that region now feels hugely unlikely.”
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Hamza Igamane replacement needed at Ibrox
Igamane’s exit from Ibrox feels inevitable after recent developments, but the Gers will need to find a replacement before 1 September.
The 22-year-old was signed for around £1.7m from AS FAR last summer, and the Light Blues have an opportunity to make a massive profit off him.
It made sense for the Glaswegian outfit to keep the young striker as their demands weren’t being met, but now Kevin Thelwell should find a suitable solution.
- Igamane joined pre-season training late after visa issues.
- The centre-forward has spent most of his time in the treatment room this season.
- In all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign, the youngster has played just 66 minutes.
Rangers have been linked with Girona centre-forward Bojan Miovski, and the North Macedonia international could return to the William Hill Premiership after just one season in LaLiga.
Martin seems to trust Cyriel Dessers as his first-choice number nine, but the Nigeria international is currently on the sidelines due to an injury.
Danilo has also been unreliable for the Gers over the years, and the Light Blues undoubtedly have much to do in the coming days to fix their goalscoring issues.
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