Rangers’ “aggressive” star could be their club-record sale

Glasgow Rangers haven’t enjoyed the best luck in the transfer market over the previous couple of years.

With their rivals across the other end of the city selling a host of players for significant profits, establishing an effective player trading model in the process, the Light Blues have often been guilty of letting talent go for below market value.

Todd Cantwell was sold for just £500k last summer, despite being worth much more. The summer before, both Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent departed Ibrox for nothing after their contracts expired.

Both of these players could arguably have been sold for seven-figure sums at their peak, yet this was more evidence of mismanagement at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement may have been sacked due to some dreadful results on the pitch combined with a lack of playing style, but he did sign some talented youngsters during his stint in charge.

One such player could attract plenty of interest this summer, especially if he can rediscover his mojo under Barry Ferguson…

Hamza Igamane has enjoyed an excellent debut season in Scotland. The question now is, just how much money can the Gers sell him for when the time comes?

Why Hamza Igamane could make Rangers a significant profit

When Igamane arrived at the club last summer, not much was expected of him, at least straight away. The African centre-forward had played a total of 58 senior matches for AS FAR, scoring 16 goals in the process.

It’s safe to say that plenty of the Ibrox faithful weren’t bursting with excitement when his signing was announced. Fast-forward eight months, however, and it appears as though the Moroccan could be the club’s next big sale.

Across 35 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, Igamane has scored 13 goals while chipping in with three assists.

While he has taken to Scottish football with ease, it is in European competition that the 22-year-old has been able to demonstrate his true qualities. Indeed, he has scored four goals in the Europa League this term, including a wonderful effort against Tottenham Hotspur back in December.

It was reported after the tie that Everton had sent scouts to watch the game at Ibrox, with Igamane very much someone who was on their radar.

His form recently hasn’t exactly been the most inspiring, last finding the back of the net against Aberdeen midway through January. He has made leaps and bounds during his maiden season in Scotland. However, sooner or later, he will leave the club.

Hamza Igamane’s statistics for Rangers
Metric	Europa League	Premiership
Goals	4	9
Assists	1	1
Big chances created	1	6
Successful dribbles per game	1.7	1.4
Shots per game	1.6	2.9
Via Sofascore

When that time comes, whoever is in charge must maximise as much profit as possible on the striker. That’s for sure.

Could there be another talented individual in the current first-team squad who might even be sold for more than Igamane? Someone who has the potential to be the club’s record sale in the process?

Step forward Mohamed Diomande.

Mohamed Diomande’s display vs Fenerbahçe

Since Barry Ferguson took over as interim manager, he has operated with a three-man midfield and this has played to the strengths of Diomande, especially against Fenerbahçe in the recent first leg of the last-16 clash.

In a more advanced role against the Turkish side, the Ivorian star was excellent. He provided an assist while completing 100% of his passes during the game and making two key passes.

Furthermore, the midfielder lost possession only five times, winning five ground duels and making two tackles in the process, and he was key to the stunning 3-1 victory for the Glasgow side in Istanbul on Thursday evening.

He was praised by analyst John Walker following the win over Hearts last month, who said:

“He is completely under-rated & under-appreciated by our fan base for me. Majority of Chances/Half-Chances we managed to get yesterday, he was the one building into the Final Third.”

If he continues this sort of form in the coming weeks, it won’t just be Igamane who will be attracting plenty of interest at the end of the season.

His development might be best served with another year in Scotland, but if an offer that is too good to turn down arrives, it might be a hard decision for the incoming manager.

Why Diomande could be Rangers’ record sale

The midfielder has showcased his attacking talents in the Europa League this season, helping the Gers to not only reach the last-16 stage, but also put them on the brink of the quarter-finals.

When compared to his positional peers in the competition this season, Diomande currently ranks in the top 15% for assists (0.28), the top 17% for take-ons attempted (2.68) and the top 22% for carries into the penalty area (0.42).

These statistics prove that the 23-year-old loves bursting forward as much as possible, hence Ferguson’s decision to play him in a more advanced role against José Mourinho’s men.

Hailed as “aggressive” by Walker when he joined the Gers in January 2024, the promising talent has also impressed in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Not only does he have three goals and five assists to his name, but the youngster has created six big chances, averages 1.1 key passes per game and succeeds with 62% of his dribbles each match for the club.

Defensively, Diomande makes 1.1 tackles and recovers 4.1 balls per game in the top flight, while he even wins 54% of his total contested duels. Regardless of where he plays on the pitch, the midfielder can shine both when in and out of possession.

Calvin Bassey was sold by the club in the summer of 2022 for just under £23m, becoming the record sale in the club’s history.

If Diomande can continue to shine, especially in Europe, between now and the end of the season, there is no reason why Rangers shouldn’t be demanding over £20m for the player.

Of course, many would rather he stayed, but his sale could prove that the player trading model established by Clement is finally beginning to reap its rewards.