If you had a penny for every time a former Rangers target secured a big-money move to a leading European club…
Giovanni van Bronckhorst wanted Ian Maatsen at Ibrox, admittedly only on loan, shortly before the 2024 Champions League finalist joined Aston Villa to the tune of £37 million.
Albert Gudmundsson is now a £30 million Fiorentina forward, not long after Rangers were linked with a bargain £1 million deal when he was in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar.
And as Serie A leaders Napoli shift their focus towards another one-time Gers linked talent, a familiar name to those on the blue side of Glasgow might be celebrating the Scudetto alongside Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay and Antonio Conte come May.
Former Rangers target Francis Amuzu could move to Italy with Napoli
Now, it’s no secret that Francis Amuzu was not Napoli’s first choice target.
The Partenopei have been locked in discussions over Manchester United whizzkid Alejandro Garnacho throughout the previous fortnight, seemingly now walking away after the Red Devils refused to budge on their price-tag in the region of £70 million.
Napoli also ran into trouble in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Celtic-destroying speed-machine Karim Adeyemi.
So, enter Anderlecht’s Amuzu. At least, that appears to be the plan.
If Garnacho is far too expensive at £70 million, then the same certainly cannot be said of the Anderlecht wideman. According to claims out of Belgium, Amuzu may be available for as little as £1.5 million with his contract running down.
So what the former Belgium Under-21 international lacks in terms of star power, he arguably makes up for in affordability.
Rangers may be tempted to renew Amuzu interest
It’s certainly worth wondering if Rangers could do worse than to renew their own interest.
Francis Amuzu was first linked to Rangers back in 2019 when he was watched by the club’s scouts. There had also been links in both 2021 and 2022.
Now 25 years of age, the Ghana-born attacker has not quite developed as some may have liked – Amuzu earned comparisons to Brazil legend Pele after one stunning solo goal a few seasons back but he remains a rather rare sighting on the scoresheet – but his searing pace and trickery in one-v-one situations means he poses a threat more often than not.
Rangers do have their wide options to consider in the coming months too.
Vaclav Cerny may be too expensive for Rangers to sign permanently – Wolfsburg are reportedly looking for around £7 million – while Rabbi Matondo has probably played his last game for the club following a loan move to Hannover which could turn into a full-time deal over the summer.
Oscar Cortes’ ongoing injury problems also remain a significant cause for concern.
And Amuzu, at £1.5 million, certainly feels like an opportunity worth thinking about at the very least.
