Rangers will still be shopping on a budget for the foreseeable future with Nils Koppen having to scour the globe for potential bargains.
As seen with Hamza Igamane and Nicolas Raskin though, sometimes it is the players who cost the least who end up being worth the most.
The Rangers squad needs a lot of work in the summer with three positions needing immediate attention.
Centre-half remains an issue, as does the depth in midfield, however, few would argue that quality options on the wing isn’t the priority.
Last summer, Rangers considered £3.5m rated Adama Traore, and were even said to be in the “advanced stages” of talks with Ferencvaros, who is now being told to leave Hungary.
Rangers target Adama Traore told to leave Ferencvaros
At 29-years old, Traore might not seem like the prototype signing for a club looking to reboot a player trading model.
Not every transfer can be a project signing though, sometimes, first-team ready starters also need to be targeted.
For Rangers, the need is even greater, given that Vaclav Cerny is set to head back to Wolfsburg.
Reports of a £5.5m option to buy have been rubbished, although Rangers are in talks to sign Cerny on a permanent basis.
As for Traore, who would be a like-for-like replacement for Cerny, Harouna Diarra, a former Mali international, thinks that his compatriot should be one last big move, via Metropol:
“He has excelled in Eastern Europe with Tiraspol and Ferencváros, but now he must aim for one last big contract. If his current club makes him a good offer, he can stay, otherwise he will have to look for something better.”
Traore hasn’t featured for Ferencvaros as often recently, perhaps due to his hesitancy in signing a new contract, however, it didn’t stop him scoring this screamer in the Europa League.
Is Traore’s injury history something to be worried about?
There were concerns about Traore’s injury history last summer, however, he is on course to play 50 games this season.
Only 2023/24 was disrupted but 2022/23 was another where he barely missed a minute.
The ideal scenario, would be to sign Cerny and Traore.
It is one major advantage that Celtic have over Rangers, is that they can rotate wingers to keep them fresh and pick on form.
Rangers have been picking who is available for far too long.
Available on a Bosman, Traore could be an early acquisition that buys a bit more time for Koppen whilst strengthening the squad at the same time.
