Nasser Djiga is set to complete a loan move to Rangers ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 22-year-old is likely to be the next departure from Molineux, following the more high-profile transfers of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and Rayan Ait-Nouri to the blue half of Manchester.
Having only been signed by Wolves in January, it is a fairly premature exit for the young defender, albeit one that isn’t permanent.
It should also be a good chance for the Burkina Faso international to further develop and progress, especially following recent comments by his prospective new manager, Russell Martin.
Nasser Djiga in action for Wolves against Bournemouth in the FA Cup.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Nasser Djiga set to be given more minutes at Rangers than he was at Wolves
Since making the move from Red Star Belgrade, Djiga has found first-team playing opportunities to be limited at Molineux.
Indeed, he has featured in just five Premier League games since his arrival, only one of which he started.
That came in Wolves’ 4-2 defeat at Crystal Palace, where the young defender was substituted at half-time.
Match Did Djiga start? Minutes played
Bournemouth (a) No 17
Southampton (a) No 1
Ipswich (a) No 1
Manchester United (a) No 1
Crystal Palace (a) Yes 45
Nasser Djiga’s minutes for Wolves in the 2024/25 Premier League season, as per Transfermarkt
Now, with Djiga set to undergo a medical at Rangers, Gers boss Martin has hinted at his plans for the centre-back.
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Speaking to Rangers TV about his side’s transfer business, Martin said: “The ones that we are thinking will come into the building in the next week or two, we will be so pleased with them.”
In a vote of confidence to Djiga, the 39-year-old added: “We can’t be in a rush to get the ones we are not too sure on. We have to go after the ones we really want.
“When we do get them in, it’ll be down to a lot of hard work, and we’ll make sure they’re the right ones.”
Martin added that the reason his side is acting as early and aggressively as they are for the transfer targets they want is because “[Rangers] play so early in Europe.”
The Scottish giants host Greek side Panathinaikos on 22nd July in the second qualifying round for the UEFA Champions League, before travelling to Greece for the return leg a week later.
Nasser Djiga has plenty of Champions League experience that could help Rangers
To this regard, Djiga could provide plenty of experience to help his new team, despite his young age.
Playing for the aforementioned Red Star, Djiga has featured 14 times in Europe’s premier competition, scoring once.
That included playing every minute across all eight games in the newly revised league format for the 2024/25 campaign, as Red Star won two matches – including a 5-1 demolition of Stuttgart – their first in the competition for five years.
Matchweek Red Star Belgrade’s results
MW1 Red Star Belgrade 1-2 Benfica
MW2 Inter Milan 4-0 Red Star Belgrade
MW3 Monaco 5-1 Red Star Belgrade
MW4 Red Star Belgrade 2-5 Barcelona
MW5 Red Star Belgrade 5-1 Stuttgart
MW6 AC Milan 2-1 Red Star Belgrade
MW7 Red Star Belgrade 2-3 PSV
MW8 BSC Young Boys 0-1 Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade’s 2024/25 Champions League results
With Rangers having only qualified for the main stage of the Champions League once since 2011, the addition of Djiga could therefore prove to be an important one.
From a Wolves perspective, Martin’s words and Rangers’ potential Champions League campaign should also be viewed positively, as both mean the young defender will progress as a player before returning to the club in 2026.