Rangers learn fate as Sankhoun Diawara agrees next transfer after late AC Milan hijack
Rangers look set to be disappointed in their pursuit of Troyes defender Sankhoun Diawara.
The Gers have made a couple of moves to bolster their defence this summer, with Ross McCrorie and Ben Godfrey arriving.
However, Derek McInnes is sure to want more upgrades in this department if he is to have enough quality and depth to be crowned Scottish Premiership champions in 2026-27.
Diawara's name has emerged in Rangers transfer circles in recent days, with the 20-year-old having enjoyed a breakout season with Troyes in Ligue 2 last term.
Capable of playing at left-back as well as in central defence, his signature is a highly-coveted one by clubs across Europe.
And, whilst it had looked as though Rangers were moving closer to securing his services, their chances now appear to be all but over.
How AC Milan have dealt Rangers Sankhoun Diawara blow
Ibrox News has been following reports that AC Milan were trying to hijack Rangers' deal for Diawara earlier this week.
It now looks as though they've been successful in that pursuit, as reported by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna on Thursday.
Posting to his X account, Aouna claims that a deal has now been reached between Troyes and AC Milan for Diawara.
It's stated that an agreement has also been reached between Milan and the player himself, with just some small details left to tie up before his transfer to the Serie A giants will be complete.
But, just because he now seems to be destined for Milan, that shouldn't mean he can't still be seen turning out at Ibrox next season.
How Rangers can still sign Diawara this summer
Given his age and the fact he's only made 18 competitive senior appearances in his career so far, Milan are sure to be patient with Diawara.
So much so that commissioning a loan move for him once they tie up his permanent transfer could be something that makes an awful lot of sense.
It's surely unlikely that he'd play anything other than a reserve role in Ruben Amorim's team next season.
Seeing Rangers' interest in signing him, that should fill Milan with confidence that sending him to Ibrox would see the young defender get plenty of opportunities under a coaching team that genuinely wants to work with him.
Rangers may have lost the war in terms of obtaining Diawara's permanent signature, but they could yet taste victory in their transfer pursuit by securing his loan services for at least a year, and possibly even longer.