Wednesday morning brought the news everyone connected with Rangers was hoping for.
No, Daizen Maeda has not been ruled out of Sunday’s Old Firm derby.
But the multi-million takeover of Rangers by the San Francisco 49ers has taken another massive step towards completion. According to reports, the 49ers are due to take control at Ibrox by the end of May as things stand.
And former Rangers striker Ross McCormack believes there is one thing which stands out a mile on Paraag Marathe’s to-do list. That is, keeping Vaclav Cerny in Glasgow on a permanent basis.
Just last week, Cerny’s agent indicated that staying at Rangers was unlikely.
Talk about raining on the Rangers parade. The Glasgow giants were on a high after Cerny ripped into Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce with two cool finishes from his new-look central attacking position in a 3-1 first leg win in the Europa League last-16.
In doing so, Cerny took his tally to 17 for the season. Making this the most prolific season of his career.
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Ross McCormack urges Rangers to sign Vaclav Cerny permanently
Unfortunately, as the Czech Republic international himself predicted back in January, such stellar displays have caught the eye of clubs elsewhere. Cerny’s agent confirms interest from Ligue 1 and Serie A outfits.
In late-2024, meanwhile, Philippe Clement admitted Rangers would struggle to finance the £7 million fee required by Wolfsburg.
Yet, presuming that the 49ers can beef up Rangers’ financial muscles, suddenly such a sum would maybe not seem quite so daunting.
McCormack looks at the fees recently forked out by Old Firm rivals Celtic. A combined £20 million spent on the inconsistent Adam Idah and penalty specialist Arne Engels. Surely Cerny – seven assists to go with his 17 goals – is worthy of hefty Rangers investment when you consider his returns in the blue shirt.
“[Signing Cerny permanently] is the first thing I would be doing with these new owners coming in,” McCormack, the former Leeds United and Aston Villa striker, argues. “I would be trying to keep him. It’s a snip.
“In this day and age, you talk about Engels for £11 million. £9 million for Idah. I think Cerny is superb.”
Cerny’s agent opens up on the interest in Wolfsburg loanee
While agent David Nehoda feels that his client is likely to have a new club come 2024/25, he does admit that a spell in Scotland has worked wonders for a player who arrived with a point to prove after a difficult time in the Bundesliga.
“I can’t say what will happen next, but I don’t think it’s very realistic for him to stay at Rangers,” Nehoda said. “His contract at Wolfsburg ends in the summer of 2027. So, I would assume that the club will want to recall him, or there will be interested parties who would like to buy him.
“There is already interest from France and Italy. I know Vaclav’s ambitions; To return to one of the top five leagues in Europe.
“[But] everything has worked out beautifully for him since his loan spell. In the Europa League, Vaclav has shown what an exceptional player he is. At Rangers, his coaches and teammates trust him, the fans applaud him and he has a great family background.
“He is calm and everything is reflected in his well-being and performances. The style in which Rangers play is tailor-made for him. That’s exactly how he likes it.”
