Rangers looking at reinforcements from West Ham and Real Betis after shaky start to the season
Russell Martin hasn’t had a great to start to life in Govan, as Rangers have only managed two draws in the first two games of the Scottish Premiership. The Gers have performed slightly better on the European stage and now look forward to playing Brugge in a Champions League Qualification play-off, after scraping by Viktoria Plzen last night despite a 3-0 lead from the first leg.
With some of the goals Rangers have conceded so far, it’s clear that Martin still needs to make more signings of players who are comfortable playing in his system. The latest players to be linked with the Govan side are midfielder, Andy Irving of West Ham and defender, Nobel Mendy of Real Betis.
Martin also will have to balance his squad out, with the likes of Robin Propper and Ross McCausland already moving away from Ibrox, the Rangers manager will look to be offloading a few more players before the end of the window. Here’s a look at the latest transfer news to come out of Ibrox:
Rangers keen on Irving and Mendy as Martin looks to bolster squad
Scottish midfielder, Andy Irving is the latest star to be linked with a move to Ibrox. The sought after West Ham midfielder has attracted attention from Italy and Germany, with Celtic also in the hunt for his signature.
The Edinburgh-born 26 year old made 11 appearances for West Ham last season, mostly coming off the bench but with a potential World Cup round the corner, Irving wants to be playing first team football week in, week out.
As a dynamic and adaptable midfield player, Irving would be an ideal fit for a Russell Martin side, where the central players are often asked to drift into wide positions. The signing would also be popular with the fans, who have been crying out for years to sign more players who know the Scottish game.
Rangers are also looking at Betis centre back Nobel Mendy, who is expected to arrive in Scotland for his medical on Wednesday according to the BBC. The 20 year old Senegalese centre back made two appearances for the Green and Whites last season but now it looks like he’s headed for the Royal Blues.
Despite being 6’2”, Mendy can also play at left back, an area Rangers are really lacking depth in at the moment. Russell Martin has been playing Max Aarons on the left side of the defence despite the Englishman being right-footed.
Jefte potential move back to Brazil
Another reason Rangers would benefit from Mendy’s signature, is that current first choice left back, Jefte, is linked with a move to Palmeiras. According to the Daily Record, the 21 year old could be headed back to Brazil, having only arrived from Fluminese just 12 months ago.
The Brazilian giants could be willing to spend, £5.1m for Jefte, which would certainly aid Martin in his job of balancing out the squad. Jefte has shown signs of potential at Ibrox, with his ability to get up and down the line, however his ability defensively has always been questioned.
Only last night, the Brazilian was drawn out of position for the first Viktoria Plzen goal, something which he has been guilty of a number of times during his time at Ibrox. However, at his young age perhaps he’s been unfairly relied upon too often in a Rangers jersey, with not enough depth in his position.
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