This is not the first time former Rangers defender Russell Martin has found himself fronting up to the media and explaining why a move to Ibrox failed to materialise.
Martin jokingly ‘apologised‘ to the Rangers supporters in early 2023 when the Scottish giants tried and failed to snatch Morgan Whittaker from his Swansea City side.
Rangers made a number of bids at the time, including one in the region of £2 million.
18 months on, Whittaker has blossomed into one of the most productive widemen south of the border, breaking the 20-goal barrier at Plymouth Argyle last term.
Whether Sam Edozie can become quite so prolific remains to be seen. But there is no doubting the potential of a former Manchester City starlet who joined Martin’s current employers in a £10 million deal back in 2022.
Rangers loan deal for Southampton’s Sam Edozie failed
Rangers made a last-ditch attempt to sign Edozie on loan but a proposed deadline day deal collapsed at – quite literally – the eleventh hour.
And Martin cannot help but feel a little sorry for the former England Under 20 international.
Edozie would have found first-team minutes far easier to come by north of the border after all, with Martin admitting that Sam Amo-Ameyaw has moved ahead of the 21-year-old in his pecking order for the time being.
“What frustrated me was how late it fell through, and it wasn’t on our end,” Martin tells the Daily Record when asked why that Rangers switch failed to materialise.
“It’s a bit unfair to Sam really. It’s a bit disappointing but it is what it is. Every club has their prerogative and their priorities in the transfer window. I was gutted for Sam because it was too late to then find another opportunity to go and play football.”
“He’ll get to work like everyone else now. Get his head down, work really hard and try and get himself into the squad and into the team.
“He wasn’t in it (against Brentford on Saturday) because of the speculation. But also because Sam Amo deserves to be in the squad more than he does right now.
“That’s my opinion and that won’t be everyone’s opinion. It definitely won’t be Sam Edozie’s. But unfortunately, I’m the guy who takes that hope or the opportunity of him playing away.
“It’s the hardest bit of the job. So we’ll have a chat. We had a couple of messages already and we’ll have a chat. He’ll be fine. He needs to find a way to get himself back into the group and really impact things.”
Rabbi Matondo suffers another injury blow
Edozie scored six goals and set up three more as Southampton secured their return to the Premier League via the play-offs last season.
He was one of numerous left-wingers linked with a Rangers side who lost both Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva once their loan deals expired, including Josip Brekalo amongst others.
Rabbi Matondo had the position nailed down following a couple of sparkling displays early in the season.
But, in a blow which rather sums up his Rangers career so far, the Welsh wideman now looks set for weeks on the sidelines, a sudden burst of form ruined by an injury picked up during Sunday’s 3-0 Old Firm derby defeat to Celtic.
