The Light Blues defender has also caught the eye of Dutch giants Feyenoord
Rangers boss Danny Rohl has told defender Emmanuel Fernandez he can fulfil his dreams in Govan - rather than go elsewhere.
The 24-year old has been a mainstay at the back this season for the Rangers boss and his aerial ability in both boxes would make him an asset to any side. Arsenal, West Ham United and Feyenoord among others are monitoring his progress as Rangers prepare for a flurry of bids in the summer.
Fernandez was signed by former Gers boss Russell Martin in the summer for £3m from Peterborough but is now reportedly worth eight figures. After a shaky start to the season, the defender took his chance when he got a run in the team and has since scored five goals in 22 league appearances. His exploits in Govan got him his first call-up to the Nigeria National Team last month.
Fernandez can play at the highest level with Rangers - Rohl
While the glitz and glamour of the English Premier League may on the face of it be more attractive than staying north of the border. Rohl claims that Fernandez can still play at the very ‘highest’ level while still playing for Rangers. The Light Blues are still in the hunt for Champions League football going into next season and will have the opportunity to qualify if they finish first or second in the league. Should they come first, there’s still an outside chance they can secure automatic qualification.
Speaking ahead of their weekend clash with Motherwell, Rohl said: "Manny (Fernandez) knows as well what he has here. I think he developed very quick and soon. We should not forget one year ago, he played in the League One. Now, he plays for a big club and if everything goes well as we want, maybe he can play next year at the highest competition."
Rangers environment has fast-tracked star’s development
The Nigerian was Rangers’ only representative in the PFA Team of the Season this campaign and has went from strength to strength in terms of his personal development. Rohl believes this is partly down to the environment Rangers have created for him. He continued: "I think we have a lot of argument, good training squad, fantastic stadium, nice city, and good fans, owners, and the group together are the things that help us for players to develop and play at the highest level of football.”
While the outside noise is only going to grow in decibels for Fernandez between until the summer, the defender has a hugely important task on his hands for the here and now as Rangers enter their last five games of the season. First up, they host the Steelmen - a fixture Fernandez bagged the winner in the last time they faced at Ibrox. His quality from set pieces could prove vital the intense title race run-in commences.
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