Rangers make contact to sign “unplayable” ace

Glasgow Rangers are closing in on yet another addition to their first-team squad this week, having already made a host of signings to bolster Russell Martin’s squad.

Max Aarons, Lyall Cameron, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Thelo Aasgaard have all already arrived to improve the manager’s options across the pitch at Ibrox.

The Scottish Premiership giants are not done there, though, as Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell are eyeing up several more signings to ensure that the team is ready to compete with Celtic next season.

Sheffield Wednesday’s versatile attacker Djeidi Gassama could be the next player to arrive at Ibrox, as reporter Joe Crann claims that a deal has been agreed between the two clubs.

Rangers have already agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old forward, who came up through the Paris Saint-Germain academy, and it now seems like just a matter of time before he holds up the scarf.

What Djeidi Gassama could bring to Rangers

The French youngster is an exciting young talent who could bring speed, goals, and dribbles to the left flank for the Scottish giants next season.

He is still learning and developing as a player, which means that the attacker is far from the finished article, but his performances in the Championship last season suggest that Gassama could make an instant impact in the Premiership as a goal threat.

The Owls star ended the season with a return of seven goals from 5.92 xG in the second tier of English football, which shows that he offered a decent goal threat and finished the chances that he was provided with at an impressive rate.

A consistent goal threat on the left wing is exactly what Martin is in dire need of at Ibrox, given what the existing left-wing options produced in the division last season.

As you can see in the table above, Hamza Igamane, who scored nine of his goals as a striker, was the only left-wing option for the Gers who managed more than four goals.

This suggests that Gassama has the potential to be the player that Rangers need if he can translate his efficient goalscoring form on the left wing for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship over to the Premiership next season.

However, the French dynamo may not be the only winger who arrives at Ibrox in the coming weeks, as Rangers are reportedly interested in another wide attacker.

According to Africa Foot, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign free agent winger Grady Diangana, who left West Bromwich Albion at the start of the month.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have already made contact with his camp, as they pursue a move to bring him to Ibrox to bolster their options on the flanks.

It adds that there is plenty of interest from elsewhere, though, as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Valencia and Al Ettifaq are all also interested in signing the former West Ham United forward.

Africa Foot reveals that Diangana is intrigued by the prospect of a move to Scotland this summer and is carefully considering a switch to Ibrox to link up with Martin, who is very keen on signing a player of his profile.

It now remains to be seen what final decision the 27-year-old dynamo is going to make, with Rangers hoping that he will decide that a move to Glasgow is the best next step for him in his career.

What Grady Diangana could bring to Rangers

Diangana would be an interesting addition to the Rangers squad this summer because he did not deliver outstanding quality on the pitch for the Baggies in the 2024/25 campaign.

However, he is an incredibly versatile attacking option who can play on the left, on the right, or through the middle as an attacking midfielder, having started at least 37 games in each position in his career to date.

This means that Martin could utilise him in a plethora of roles next season, whether that’s on the wing or as an attacking midfield, which would make him a valuable depth option for the Scottish boss to call upon when needed.

Gassama, given his potential and impressive goalscoring output in the 2024/25 campaign, could come in as the first-choice option on the left flank, with Diangana providing an experienced alternative who can support the Frenchman’s developement whilst also being a quality back-up.

As you can see in the table above, the former West Brom star did provide decent quality in the final third in the Championship in the 2023/24 season, but his form fell off last term as his contract was due to expire.

Diangana, who was once hailed as “unplayable” by pundit Michael Brown, joining Rangers for a fresh challenge could motivate him to get back to his best, potentially providing Martin with a winger who can make an impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

At worst, the DR Congo international will be a versatile and experienced player to support Gassama and step in as a starter when needed for the Gers.

At best, Diangana will recapture his best form and be a terrific winger for Rangers who can decide matches with goals and assists on a regular basis, leaving Martin with two brilliant left wing options to pick from next season.

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