The Daily Record reports that Bournemouth players Nnamdi Ofoborh and Jack Simpson have both agreed pre-contract deals with Rangers.
It seems that the duo will be joining the Gers in the summer at the latest, although it has been suggested that one or both could move to Ibrox this month.
Steven Gerrard is said to be particularly keen to get a deal for Ofoborh done now and the Cherries are reportedly asking for a fee of £300,000 [Daily Record].
Regardless of when he arrives at Rangers, though, the fact that the transfer is happening at all is an ominous sign for Bongani Zungu.
The South Africa international signed on a season-long loan from Amiens in October and the Gers have an option to buy him in the summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £2.7m [Daily Record].
However, although he impressed in a Europa League fixture at Lech Poznan in December, he hasn’t managed to force his way into the side, despite significant injuries to both Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield.
Zungu has started only three of his 13 appearances for the club and none of those starts have come in the league.
The evergreen Steven Davis has been keeping him out with stellar showings in the deep-lying midfield role and the arrival of Ofoborh, whenever that is, will simply add more competition for places.
The 21-year-old can be effective in a defensive midfield role, as he showed during his loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers last season, and the fact that there’s interest in him suggests that Zungu hasn’t done enough to convince Gerrard during his time at the club.
With Ryan Jack already tied to a long-term deal and the manager recently making it clear that he wants Davis to be offered a new contract, Rangers will likely already be well-stocked in that area for 2021/22 even without Zungu.
There’s still a considerable chunk of time left before the end of the current season and if a mini-injury crisis was to occur between now and then, it might give the 28-year-old a chance to prove himself.
Yet, right now, it looks highly unlikely that the club will be tempted to invest close to £3m on a player who, realistically, is only going to serve as a backup.
Zungu might not be at Ibrox beyond the summer but Gerrard will be determined to keep an ‘outstanding’ 24-year-old he says is currently adding an ‘extra dimension’ to his game.
