Following the departure of Hamza Igamane, Rangers have reportedly entered advanced talks to sign an instant replacement for their star man before the deadline.
Latest on Rangers' transfer targets
It's been an incredibly frustrating start for Russell Martin at Ibrox and the former Southampton boss only had his misery compiled by Igamane's exit earlier this week. After the forward refused to come from the bench for the Gers in their draw against St Mirren, his departure seemed inevitable and that proved to be the case when LOSC Lille came swooping in.
Finding a replacement for Igamane will not be a routine task, but it is one that the Gers must complete before Monday's deadline. Just who emerges as the ideal candidate is the big question.
Already, names like Youssef Chermiti have been mentioned and he looks set to make the move to Glasgow. At 21 years old, the Portuguese forward is full of potential even after a difficult run at Everton. And, as we've seen all summer, Martin is often keen to welcome reinforcements from English football.
Of course, whoever comes in must hit the ground running. The last thing that Martin needs is another struggling star given how the pressure is already mounting.
youssef-chermiti-everton
Youssef Chermiti in action for Everton.
After a 9-1 humiliation across two legs against Club Brugge and a difficult start in the Scottish Premiership, questions are already being asked of Martin and ones that he'd have liked to avoid so early into his tenure.
He told reporters after exiting the Champions League on an evening to forget: "To the fans, I have nothing but an apology. I'm very sorry they had to witness that. It's humiliating and it's painful. There's disappointment and hurt that they've had to go through that."
Rangers in advanced talks to sign Diakite
As reported by Afrik-Foot, Rangers are now in advanced talks to sign Oumar Diakite from Stade Reims. The 21-year-old forward could be an addition with Chermiti and a replacement for Igamane. Like the Everton forward, however, the Ivory Coast ace is a player who is yet to reach his full potential and may not hit the ground running at Ibrox.
The Stade Reims attacker managed just four goals in all competitions in the last campaign and would be filling the role of Igamane, who managed as many as 16 goals for Rangers in all competitions. Replacing that quality has already been an issue for Martin, but there's no guarantee that Diakite would be the solution for that problem.
League stats 24/25 Diakite Igamane
Minutes 1,628 1,976
Goals 4 12
Assists 1 1
With the Igamane money to spend, the chance is certainly there for the 49ers to welcome a key addition before Monday's deadline. But they must spend it wisely. Martin needs a proven, consistent goalscorer and not a gamble. Nonetheless, if reports are anything to go by, then Diakite could be an unexpected option to reignite Rangers' frontline this summer.