Rangers are in urgent need of defensive reinforcements as an injury crisis has struck their central defense at a particularly challenging time.
The club is feeling the impact of a lack of quality depth at centre-back, with John Souttar’s latest injury severely affecting the defense. Additionally, with Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Leon Balogun also struggling with injuries, Rangers are already missing key figures such as James Tavernier and Jack Butland.
This situation has sparked speculation about potential signings, with one key target now reportedly emerging: Marseille defender Bamo Meïte.
Rangers have been linked with Meïte previously, including during the summer transfer window, but no deal was reached. Now, according to reports from France, both Rangers and Montpellier are in talks with Marseille about a potential loan move for the 23-year-old Ivorian. However, Marseille are reportedly hoping for a permanent transfer.
Meïte had only joined Marseille permanently last summer after a year-long loan from Lorient, but despite making 16 Ligue 1 appearances last season, he has played just three times this campaign and hasn’t featured since September.
Meanwhile, Marseille are reportedly preparing to sign Brazilian-born Italian international Luiz Felipe from Al-Ittihad, which could push Meïte further down the pecking order. According to Fabrizio Romano, Luiz Felipe is set to finalize a move to Marseille today on a contract through 2026, just 18 months after leaving Real Betis for Saudi Arabia in a £21.5m deal.
As a result, Meïte may face an uphill battle to secure regular playing time at Marseille, and Rangers will be monitoring the situation closely. With the club in desperate need of defensive reinforcements, fans will hope that the arrival of Luiz Felipe could be the catalyst that brings Meïte closer to a move to Ibrox.
Rangers’ January sale encounters early obstacles as the £4.2 million trade is “stuck” and the Dessers and Yilmaz dominoes have not yet fallen.
Rangers are looking to trim their squad this month as they work to reduce their budget, but offloading some of their underperforming players may prove difficult.
Trabzonspor is reportedly interested in Ridvan Yilmaz, but the deal is complicated. The Turkish club wants to reduce its wage bill before pursuing the 23-year-old, despite manager Senol Gunes being a fan, having worked with him at Besiktas and giving him his national team debut. However, Trabzonspor is focused on moving out high earners like Borna Barisic before finalizing any deal for Yilmaz. Rangers’ hierarchy has made it clear that any new left-back signing must come after a player is sold, particularly Barisic, who has struggled in Turkey since leaving Rangers last summer, managing only 11 appearances. There are reports suggesting his contract could be terminated.
In other transfer news, Saint-Etienne is reportedly interested in Cyriel Dessers, but French outlet Sport claims the French club is unwilling to meet Rangers’ £4 million asking price unless they can sell players to fund the deal.
Meanwhile, Aris is said to be keen on signing Jose Cifuentes permanently. The Ecuadorian midfielder has impressed, and reports indicate that a £4.2 million deal could be arranged at any time. However, negotiations between Rangers and the Greek club are said to be stalled over the asking price for the midfielder.
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