The Glasgow Rangers will take less than two weeks to prepare for their first competitive match of the 2025/26 season.
Russell Martin’s team drew 2-2 with Club Bruges last week, with the second half performance lined up more of what the manager wanted to see from his team this semester.
But while the clash with Panathinaikos is a much more severe event, the former Southampton boss wasted no time signing a player that fits his tactical system.
Certainly, Max Aaron, Joe Rothwell, Terror Asgard, Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Ziga have all moved to Ibrox in the last few weeks.
It’s a solid start, but there are still other areas that need improvement. Martin has tied the moves of Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Carl Rushworth with recent moves to challenge Jack Butland between the sticks.
Martin also appears to be keen to bring some wingers to the team during the transfer period. At the time of writing, only Ross McKorsland, Oscar Cortez and Ravi Matondo are available to either Frank manager.
So some names are linked to movement. Djeidi Gassama is approaching sealing off the switch to Light Blues, but what can he offer the club?
Ranger is locked up in signing Djeidi Gassama
Adding two or three high quality wingers this summer can make all the difference for the rangers throughout the season.
If 18 goals were scored and nine assists were notched up to Vaclav Cerny, the remaining widemen of the team registered a contribution of just nine goals among them.
Another campaign with little contribution from Wingers will make Gers finish second again for Celtic.
Last season, Rangers winger statistics (league only) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
metric | Celny | McAustralas | thank you |
the goal | 12 | 0 | 2 |
assist | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Key Passes for each game | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Dribbling was successful every game | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
A big opportunity has been created | 6 | 0 | 2 |
Shots for each game | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
Statistics via Sofascore | |||
So, Gasama’s move actually sounds promising, especially judging from his performance at Sheffield on Wednesday.
The left wing passed the PSG Youth System before moving to Belgium in 2022. A year later, the owl called, and the 21-year-old scored 12 goals and earned four assists in 84 games for the club.
In a link to exciting youth, content creator and scout Kai Watson, Gassama said:
“He can create glorious moments, but he’s not yet at a level that is consistent with his final product. He loves to carry the ball, runs on a defender and has great close control in tight areas.
“Fans in Sheffield on Wednesday suggest that he can’t stop on his day, but can sometimes be frustrating.”
Depending on the price, this move can turn out to be a master stroke or end with disappointment.
Given that the winger needs to arrive and settle straight into the first team, Gassama closes the move right away and he needs to quickly put the markers on.
He’s not the only winger linked to the move to Ibrox as Martin is clearly targeting some, hoping for more than two signatures this summer.
Latest search for rangers wingers
Like Gassama, Light Blues has been touted for being in the moves of David Brooks, Ciano Baro and even Josh Windus in recent weeks.
It is clear that the Ibrox side cannot sign all the wingers linked to. That’s certainly true.
According to Sky Sports reporter Sahil Jaidka, Light Blues appears to be “measuring” Hull City star Abu Kamara’s moves over the next few days.
Kamala has been with the Tigers since last summer, and it’s like he wants to leave the club. They suffer from financial problems and can open the door for Martin to seal him at the price of knockdown.
He has a lot of experience in the south. The question is, is he a better signature than Gassama for the manager?
Why Rangers Must Sign Abkamala
Throughout his embryonic career so far, Kamala has already made 95 senior appearances for Hull, Portsmouth and Norwich, scoring 16 goals and earning 15 assists for these clubs.
He was shining for Portsmouth during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 18 goals involved in League One as the club secured a place in the second tier.
Kamala returned to the championship last season, performing pretty well for Hull, chipping in with eight goal contributions.
The 21-year-old also created seven major opportunities for the Tigers in the Championship, grabbing three assists and finished the season with a goal conversion rate of 14%.
In comparison, Gassama created three big opportunities, recorded one assist and ended the campaign with a 10% goal conversion rate.
Additionally, Kamala delivered even more crosses to the offensive penalty area last season compared to Gassama (55-44), but registered more targets and assists (0.32-0.24) than the starlet on Sheffield Wednesday.
These statistics show that there are not many between pairs of wingers. Ideally, Martin is aiming to sign both in the coming weeks, and will actually give his Rangers team a boost heading into Champions League qualifiers.
The £5,000 per week winger has been praised for his past abilities, with former teammate Connor Shaughnessy celebrating his talent the most, describing him as a “dangerous” talent on the right.
Kamala could truly shine in Scotland if he secured his transition to Ibrox this summer. The opportunity to challenge the trophies and play European football should be enough appeal to young people.
If so, Martin would strengthen his options on the right flank. That’s certainly true.
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