Rangers are facing a potential transfer battle with French giants Marseille in the January transfer window with Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner up for grabs.
At the start of December, Philadelphia Union confirmed that they had opened talks with Kai Wagner about a new deal at Subaru Park. The long-serving left-back is due to become a free-agent on New Year’s Day, and his American employers were keen to ensure that does not come to pass.
Three weeks after sporting director Ernst Tanner went public with his desire to keep Wagner in Philly, however, it appears that little progress has been made (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
The talented left-back is now just 48 hours or so away from free-agency. And unless anything changes between now and the closing credits of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, the Rangers-linked wideman will available for absolutely nothing during the winter window.
Rangers want a new left-back
According to the Daily Record, Rangers have scouted Wagner in MLS action. Ditto Fredrik Oppegard, another left-back who plies his trade alongside Malik Tillman at Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Five years Oppegard’s senior, Wagner is the more senior option. A tally of 10 assists from 37 appearances during 2023, however, presents the former Schalke man as an opportunity too good to pass up, Wagner one of the most consistent creative threats in America over the last few seasons.
In 170 Philadelphia Union appearances, Wagner has 39 goal contributions from a supposedly defensive role. Unsurprisingly, Rangers are not the only club showing an interest. According to La Tribune, Wagner has had a meeting with Marseille, one of the biggest clubs in France.
L’OM – now coached by ex-Ibrox favourute Gennaro Gattuso – have endured a difficult season on and off the pitch, however. And Rangers may hope that the relative stability on offer at Ibrox will prove more tempting than the seemingly never-ending, all-encompassing chaos of Marseille.
Borna Barisic’s Ibrox replacement?
“Kai has been one of the best left-backs in our league since he arrived,” Union coach Jim Curtin said of Wagner. “And we believe he is still far from his ceiling. We ask our defenders to dominate an entire flank by themselves, and Kai continually shows he is up to the challenge.”
Wagner, should he end up at Rangers, could free up Ridvan Yilmaz to depart. Borna Barisic, Rangers’ current first-choice left-back, is also facing an uncertain future with his contract running down.
Fabio Silva, joining on loan from Wolves, became Rangers’ first mid-season addition this week.
