A move to Coventry City may have stalled for Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo but an exit from Ibrox is still very much on the cards ahead of the upcoming transfer deadline.
It was reported on Thursday that Coventry were close to bringing Matondo back to England on an initial loan deal. A deal that could have been turned into a permanent transfer at the end of the current campaign, while seeing Rangers recoup two-thirds of their £3 million investment.
However, Rabbi Matondo found himself thrust back to square one when it emerged that Coventry and Rangers were still far apart in terms of bonus payments and the add-ons that would be included as part of the arrangement.
Fortunately for the out-of-favour winger, while the Coventry ship may have sailed, there is still interest from a number of rival suitors ahead of the close of the transfer window on Monday 3rd February.
Nantes move for Rabbi Matondo as Rangers talks stall with Coventry City
Rangers News exclusively reported earlier this month that Serie A duo Lecce and Torino were keen on Rabbi Matondo.
Coventry’s Championship rivals Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday expressed an interest, too.
Rangers News have now been informed, meanwhile, that another club has thrown their hat into the ring. Ligue 1 outfit Nantes have made an approach regarding a potential loan deal for the Wales international.
Nantes are currently stuck in the relegation zone over in France. Antoine Koumbouare’s team have won just three of 18 league matches while scoring only 21 goals along the way.
The requirement for attacking reinforcements at The Canaries will only grow, meanwhile, if Sorba Thomas’ spell at the Stade de la Beaujoire is cut short. The Huddersfield Town-owned winger is on loan in France but, according to the Hull Daily Mail, he is now in talks to head back across the Channel and join Hull City.
Nantes have not given up hope of keeping Thomas until the end of the current campaign. Hull, however, have reportedly had a bid accepted by Huddersfield as Tigers boss Ruben Selles goes public with his admiration.
“Sorba’s doing a really good job at Nantes,” Selles says. “He knows the [English Championship], he knows the competition, he’s been there before [and was] very successful.
“He is a type of player that would be very welcome to our squad.”
Philippe Clement has left Matondo out of Rangers’ last three games
Huddersfield are reported to value Thomas in the region £3.5 million.
Rangers, meanwhile, may let Matondo go for around half that fee. After finding himself on Blackburn Rovers’ shopping list over the summer, Matondo’s bright start to 2024/25 was disrupted by injury.
He has fallen behind the likes of Ianis Hagi and Nedim Bajrami in the pecking order since his return, and was left out of Philippe Clement’s squad for the matches against Aberdeen, Fraserburgh and Manchester United this month.
Clement chose Zak Lovelace ahead of Matondo for Rangers’ 3-0 victory over Aberdeen on January 15th.
“I can say about Rabbi that I made a choice,” Clement would explain. “A sporting choice to put two young lads [Bailey Rice was also included in place of Kieran Dowell] because I think they are performing for the moment better.”
