Bongani Zungu looks set to leave Rangers this summer after a surprise squad snub for Wednesday’s Premiership clash against St Johnstone.
Zungu moved to Ibrox on loan from Amiens in October, with the Gers holding an option to make the switch permanent at the end of the season.
The Daily Record claimed that the Ligue 1 club are expecting Rangers to cough up a £2.7m fee, but that is looking increasingly unlikely.
The 28-year-old midfielder has struggled for playing time in Light Blue, as despite making 20 appearances in all competitions, he’s only seen 451 minutes of action. That’s the equivalent of just five full matches in over six months.
He hasn’t been able to force his way into the starting XI ahead of the likes of Steven Davis and Glen Kamara, failing to capitalise on the few opportunities he has received.
The ‘Covid Five’ incident in February didn’t help his cause, but as Nathan Patterson has shown, involvement in that event hasn’t been a barrier to progression over the past two months.
Instead of rising to prominence, though, Zungu has drifted further away from the starting XI and his surprise omission from the matchday squad at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night is surely an indication that his future lies elsewhere.
Steven Gerrard made seven changes to his starting XI in order to give opportunities to fringe players, but the South Africa international didn’t even make the nine-man bench.
As it turns out, it was also the last opportunity to involve him before his four-match ban kicked in for the breach of the Covid regulations, with the SFA sticking by their initial verdicts on Thursday despite an appeal from Rangers.
Rangers will need to win their Scottish Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone on Sunday in order for Zungu to be eligible to play again this season, but he may have already made his final appearance for the club, with a return to France in the summer now looking a near certainty.
The TV details for Sunday’s tie have been confirmed following updates from Premier Sports and RangersTV.