Rangers may find themselves hosting a few awkward conversations in pursuit of a new attacker this summer.
With Kemar Roofe departing, the futures of Abdallah Sima and Fabio Silva uncertain, Danilo injury-hit and Cyriel Dessers inconsistent if effective, the Scottish Premiership runners-up appear to be in the market for forwards.
And if they plan to get their hands on the one linked via reports in Eastern Europe – Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen once again casting their net far and wide after pursuing players based in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Denmark – then Rangers will have to put their money where their mouth is.
Speaking to Digi Sport recently, the president of Romanian outfit Rapid Bucharest – Dan Sucu – insisted that a fee of 8 million euros would not be ‘out of place’ for Albion Rrahmani. Or, if you like, £6.8 million.
A hefty sum indeed. But not necessarily one that should put Rangers off. In fact, a bigger issue than the price-tag may be the presence of one Neil Lennon in the Rapid Bucharest hotseat.
One suspects Lennon would be loathe to lose his new club’s top scorer so soon after taking over. And certainly not to the club he used to but heads with while the captain – and then manager – of Celtic.
Rangers linked with Rapid Bucharest striker Albion Rrahmani
Then again, it surely won’t take Lennon long to realise what he has in Rrahmani, and that keeping the free-scoring Kosovo international may be a pipe dream if rumours of interest from Benfica, Brentford and Aston Villa – let alone Rangers – are true.
Lennon’s predecessor, Cristiano Bergodi, was certainly under no illusions about what the future would hold for Rrahmani after scoring 19 goals across 2023/24, and 13 in 15 league matches.
“Rrahmani is a decent boy, down to earth,” Bergodi told Pro Sport. “For such a good player, it’s normal to have interest from other teams.
“Rrahmani played well. He is an extraordinary striker. It’s normal that he has offers.
“Naturally, he will leave in the summer. It is possible to leave. If he has an offer, no player from Romania is unavailable. He must think about having a good season so that he remains in the memory of the agents, the clubs.”
Ibrox-linked striker ‘will leave in the summer’
Still only 23, and with his form still strong despite Rapid’s recent struggles, the interest in Rrahmani is unlikely to diminish. If £6.8 million is a fee that may test the limits of Rangers’ budget, clubs such as Benfica, Brentford or Aston Villa would not struggle to stump up such a sum.
Adrian Mutu, once of Chelsea and arguably the finest Romanian footballer of his generation, believes Rrahmani is the finest centre-forward in the domestic game.
For compatriot Marius Sumudica, meanwhile, the Romanian game has not seen a goalscorer as talented as Rrahmani since Cyril Thereau was playing for Steaua Bucharest in 2006/07.
“I think Rapid has the best striker I’ve seen in Romania since Thereau,” Sumudica says of a man who won the Kosovan league’s Golden Boot last term (Digi Sport). “I mean Rrahmani.”
Rangers, during the first window of the Clement and Koppen era, benefitted from the signings of Diomande and Oscar Cortes, taking a punt on two young players who had impressed in Denmark and Colombia but who’s arrivals represented something of a leap of faith.
At least, with Rrahmani, they may have found a striker who’s track record – 51 goals in just 95 career games already – makes him feel like less of a risk, and something more akin to safe bet.
