Rangers could join Old Firm rivals Celtic in the race for West Ham winger Grady Diangana, according to a report in the Herald.
The Glasgow-based newspaper is claiming sources close to the player believe Rangers could make a move and they understand the Gers have “made contact” over his availability.
Diangana, 22, is a product of West Ham’s youth academy and has spent this season on-loan at Premier League hopefuls, West Brom.
The attacking midfielder has impressed in a competitive English second tier, scoring seven goals and laying on six assists in 28 games [Transfermarkt].
The Herald story also claims that Rangers came close to landing the creative talent last season before “moving on to other targets”.
His future is unlikely to be decided before the end of the season with West Brom locked in a promotion push and second place in the Championship.
In the Premier League, parent club West Ham are currently locked in a relegation battle and with three games left are only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Much of Diangana’s future could be decided on the outcome of the English football league season and the player is known to want first-team football next season.
The youngster – who has born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but grew up in southeast London – is said to be open to a move to Glasgow such is the lure of European football.
Diangana has also been capped once at U21 level for the English national team.
Could Rangers’ squad of young English talents help Diangana flourish?
Rangers have numerous young English players on their books with the likes of now-Nigeria international Joe Aribo proving that a move up north can improve your standing in the global game.
Ex-Arsenal youth Glen Kamara – a now vital part of the Finnish national team set-up – is another young player developing his talents and standing up north and another who spent a considerable amount of time in London.
Former Oldham defender George Edmundson has also increased his profile dramatically in Scotland, going from League One football to scoring a header against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.
Ryan Kent has flourished up norther with the tricky former Liverpool winger earning a full-time £7.5m transfer to Rangers after winning the PFA’s Young Player of the Season in his first campaign.
Calvin Bassey – a 20-year-old product of Leicester’s youth academy – is the newest young English talent on the books and someone who very much appears to be enjoying his early days at Ibrox.
Combine all this with the fact that former England captain and legendary Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is boss and Rangers could offer the perfect conditions for young English talent to thrive.
This could well prove to be a big influencer on the future of Grady Diangana, with the Ibrox squad full of similarly aged players with similar footballing backgrounds.