In a recent interview with the Serbian outlet Zurnal (as cited by the Daily Record), Meizhou Hakka centre-half Rade Dugalic has kept his doors open amid rumoured interest from Rangers. The speculations have made him happy as he pledged his loyalty to the Light Blues over Celtic.
“Honestly, it certainly pleases me. I think it’s a long way off. Certainly, it would be the crowning glory of my career to play in Scotland and for Rangers, who I always liked more than Celtic.”
The 30-year-old defender has also shared his frustration following the transfer collapse during Steven Gerrard’s regime. However, the Gers could reignite interest in the summer window and his comments have now launched a ‘come and get me’ plea even though he is enjoying ‘good working conditions’ in the Chinese Super League.
Dugalic progressed through the academy ranks of Radnički Niš back in his homeland before breaking into their senior side during his teenage days. But he mostly spent his time on loan in the lower division with Radnik Surdulica and Car Konstantin. Following a season with FK Sinđelić Niš, he left his country and joined the Armenian outfit Ulisses.
The Serbian then spent a few years in Russia with Torpedo Armavir, Tosno and Yenisey Krasnoyarsk. Despite interest from Rangers while playing in the top tier with Tosno, Dugalic eventually ended up in Kazakhstan with Kairat three years ago. He completed a Bosman move to Meizhou Hakka last year but is keen on achieving greater glory with one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.
Why Rangers Should Rope Him In
Rangers have ample options in the heart of the backline with Connor Goldson and Ben Davies featuring as the prime central defensive pairing. Leon King is there as the understudy to their first-team stars, also, they have Filip Helander and John Souttar who are sidelined with long-term injury woes.
Having said that, the Glasgow giants must be annoyed with Helander for his never-ending fitness concerns. Souttar has not played since suffering an injury on his debut and former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst was forced to promote teenage prodigy King to deal with the crisis early into the campaign.
James Sands, on the other hand, has shown his versatility both in defence and midfield. However, he could not impress enough in more than a year, and therefore, has been allowed to return to New York City in spite of not completing the 18-month loan period. Dugalic would be a decent buy as a sporadic option and the Gers should pursue the transfer to add depth as well as quality in the defensive third.
