Rangers have improved immensely under Steven Gerrard but, at the same time, are struggling to meet the standard set by Celtic in their quest for silverware. Yet they are working behind the scenes to bolster the squad for the upcoming term, and according to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are after Metz centre-half Mamadou Fofana as revealed by the player’s agent in a recent interview.
The Bears, however, are not the only side who are keeping close tabs on the 22-year-old Mali international.
“Rangers are looking at Mamadou, but they are not alone. There are clubs in Russia interested, including Krasnodar, Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow. We will decide this summer what is the best option for him.”
The above was stated by Seku Traore, who is expecting a busy window in order to strike the best possible deal for his client.
Fofana was roped in from Turkish outfit Alanyaspor for £400,000 a couple of summers back and is now valued at around £2.5m. The rumoured price is quite high considering the monetary limitations of the Scottish market; moreover, the financial impact in the wake of the ongoing epidemic would make it even harder for the Light Blues if they attempt to tie down the centre-back.
Rangers’ Adequate Cover In Central Defense And How Fofana Could Be Utilised
Rangers, meanwhile, have four able central defensive options who are fighting for a first-team status in the heart of the backline. Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Filip Helander and George Edmundson – all have been impressive whenever called into action and the Gers, therefore, must not worry about this one particular slot irrespective of Traore’s comments.
Yet the decision of Rangers to snap up Fofana might benefit them in some way or another. The youngster is also capable of featuring as a defensive midfielder and has often been deployed in the deep-lying midfield role by the Maroons boss Vincent Hognon. To add to it, he could slot in as a right-back too, and his versatility would improve the squad significantly in the Bears’ bid to dethrone the Hoops from the Scottish perch.
The Glasgow giants are over-reliant on Ryan Jack and James Tavernier as the duo have been utilised extensively across competitions. The arrival of Fofana would allow the gaffer to rotate his players more often and his experience in Ligue 1 should see him settle down in the new surroundings to attune to the aggressiveness, pace and physicality of the Premiership football.
