The off-pitch Sankhoun Diawara detail that hints at what Rangers could get

Sankhoun Diawara is another name that could come through the Rangers door.

The Bears have been quite active in the market already, bringing five new players to Ibrox.

The Gers will also likely need to invest at centre-back, following the departure of Nasser Djiga back to his parent club, Wolves, even with Ben Godfrey's arrival.

As things stand, the Bears have four senior centre-backs at Auchenhowie, but the future of Clinton Nsiala will certainly be questioned after spending the second half of last season on loan.

Whether Derek McInnes feels he is ready to come back into the fold remains to be seen, but links to Diawara could hint at that answer.

The 20-year-old is highly regarded by Troyes for the qualities he possesses on the pitch, but his off-the-pitch decisions show there is more to the story.

The unexpected detail Troyes chose to include alongside Sankhoun Diawara's first contract

Rangers have been linked with Diawara, in what could be a bargain for the Gers.

Diawara has just one year left on his current contract, and the announcement from that deal has opened some insight into the player.

Signing your first professional contract is a big deal, and the words from the club can often give a look into the type of person the player is.

When it comes to Diawara, that is certainly true about his first deal at Troyes.

Back in 2024, when Diawara signed his contract with the French side, they of course talked about his footballing qualities via the Troyes official club website.

He was labelled as being "strong in duels" and that he was a "technically gifted" defender.

But what was also included is the fact that throughout his footballing journey, Diawara still put a priority focus on his education as well.

The announcement shared that he is a "serious young man" and that he earned a Level 3 professional qualification as an "administrative and reception employee/club project assistant". 

The discipline to earn that qualification while becoming a professional footballer should not be discounted.

Those work-rate skills can be directly translated over to the sport, and the fact it was included in his announcement proves that Troyes highly value the player's attitude.

And that work-rate is the type of quality that every Rangers player must have when they pull on the shirt.

Where would Diawara fit into Derek McInnes' plans?

As a left-footed centre-back, the role for Diawara is straightforward, but it would mean some changes for McInnes.

If the Gers were to bring him to Ibrox, he would seamlessly slot in beside Emmanuel Fernandez in the backline.

It would see a slight adjustment for the Nigerian, who was the left-sided centre-back under Danny Rohl last season.

But with Fernandez being right-footed, it should not be much of a concern for the 24-year-old.

He should be able to adapt quickly to defending on the other side of the pitch.