Rangers are planning their next move in the transfer market, with the Ibrox outfit targeting a move for a towering centre-back who completed a €12 million move just six months ago.
Nasser Djiga has emerged as the Gers top target for the middle of Russell Martin’s defence, with the 22-year-old having struggled to make an impression since joining Wolverhampton Wanderers from Partizan in January.
He is set to become the club’s fourth new face this summer, with a deal that comes hot on the heels of the Glasgow giants announcing that they have signed fellow centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez from Peterborough in a deal worth an estimated €2.9m (£2.5m) and midfielder Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth.
It signals the desire of Martin for a complete overhaul of a defensive line that has already seen Leon Balogun depart after Rafael Fernandes’ loan was not made permanent.
Such a move would cast further doubt on the future of Robin Propper, who has struggled after a move from FC Twente last summer, as well as academy player Clinton Nsiala and Ben Davies, who was loaned out to Birmingham City last term.
Djiga a ‘quick, aggressive centre-back’
Djiga only arrived at Wolves in February from Red Star Belgrade, having made a transfer worth nearly €12m from the Serbian side. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has since risen to €15m.
He featured on six occasions for the Molineux outfit but was typically given only a handful of minutes at the end of games. Indeed, he started only one Premier League fixture and was taken off at the break in a 4-2 loss to Crystal Palace late in the season.
“Nasser is a player we believe can strengthen the squad, both in the short and longer term,” Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said when he joined the club.
“Nasser’s the quick, aggressive centre-back we’ve been looking for to help the group and we’re looking forward to seeing him fight for his place.”
If he can show these attributes at Rangers, he could quickly become a fan favourite in Glasgow while potentially gaining the experience to get him back involved at Wolves.
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