Rangers want Jonathan Panzo as Michael Beale chases a reunion with the Nottingham Forest defender this summer.
That’s according to the Daily Record, who claim that Rangers have been scouting Panzo in recent weeks.
Panzo is currently on loan at Championship side Coventry City until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old may not have a future at Forest though as they recruited a number of defenders following promotion to the Premier League.
Rangers would then seemingly be ready to pounce and give Beale another left-sided centre back to work with moving forward.
Ben Davies can play that role well but Filip Helander is out of contract this summer and another natural left-footer is needed.
Panzo looks to be the favourite for the role if Forest make him available this summer.
Who is Rangers target Jonathan Panzo?
Panzo started his career in the Chelsea ranks, joining the Blues at the age of just nine.
Rangers boss Beale was working as a youth coach at Chelsea at the time and may well have kept tabs on Panzo’s development.
Panzo spent eight years in the Chelsea ranks and Beale has always had great ties to the Blues academy.
Panzo decided to test himself abroad with a move to Monaco, but he managed just three first-team appearances.
After a loan spell with sister club Cercle Brugge, Panzo was sold to Dijon in 2020.
Again though, Panzo failed to really kick on in France and was offloaded after just 26 games.
Nottingham Forest pounced in January 2022 as Steve Cooper – Panzo’s former England youth boss – struck a £1.5million deal.
Panzo has only ever played once for Premier League side Forest though and is now featuring regularly on loan at Coventry.
Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, Panzo is finally playing regularly after a stop-start career to date.
There is clearly potential in Panzo and Beale may think that he can tap into it at Rangers.
