After all but losing out on the Scottish Premiership title to Old Firm rivals Celtic, Rangers have reportedly turned their attention towards the future and landing a Championship gem for Philippe Clement.
Rangers transfer news
It’s set to be all change at Ibrox this summer, with a number of departures. The likes of Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and Leon Balogun, among others, are all set to leave upon the expiry of their current contracts at the end of the campaign.
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Lundstram, in particular, seemed like quite the blow after failed negotiations over a new deal with Rangers, but his nightmare performance in the Gers’ recent derby defeat has since eased that blow.
🫢 An own-goal for Lundstram! Celtic’s lead was then doubled in a crazy few minutes in the Old Firm… â¬‡ï¸ pic.twitter.com/2W0CeLjsCe — Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 11, 2024
Those exits will at least pave the way for fresh faces, however, with permanent deals for both Oscar Cortes and Abdallah Sima reportedly being targeted by those at Ibrox. Meanwhile, away from the loanees, the Gers could land a future star.
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According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are eyeing a move to sign Souleymane Sidibe from Stoke City this summer alongside interest from AC Milan and Chelsea. The 17-year-old has impressed in the Championship this season, even breaking records by becoming the first player born in 2007 to feature in either the Premier League or the Championship.
A central midfielder and England Under-17 international, Sidibe could be the long-term replacement for Lundstram that Rangers need, especially given that top-flight football runs in his family. The teenager’s father – Mamady Sidibe – played in the Premier League with Stoke, as well as featuring in the Championship. Now looking to follow in his father’s footsteps, Sidibe could get his first taste of top-flight football away from the Potters this summer.
“Terrific” Sidibe is only just getting started
It will be a tough battle for Rangers to convince Sidibe into a move over both Chelsea and AC Milan, but they will be hoping to take advantage of the midfielder’s need for minutes at such a young age, before he can think of the future of his career. At 17 years old, there’s no doubt that there’s plenty more to come from Sidibe, who made four appearances in the Championship for Stoke in the season just concluded.
Earning plenty of praise in the process, former Stoke boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke after handing the youngster his senior debut in an EFL Cup clash against West Bromwich Albion: “I thought his performance justified why he’s been with the first team all pre-season and why I played him in the game.
“I had no concerns over him. He’s a terrific talent but he’s also really mature, for being so young. He did exactly as I expected him to do – he did wonderfully well and he’s played in a Stoke team that won the game, and played the majority of the match. I think when you’re 16 years old, most players of that age could only dream of doing something like that.”
