If there has been a more intriguing transfer rumour surrounding Rangers over the last few windows, then answers on a postcard please.
Clinton Nsiala, the defender brought in from Italian giants AC Milan, could come to represent an outstanding piece of business, Philippe Clement describing the teenager as a centre-half with ‘a lot of talent’, per Rangers Review.
Ditto Connor Barron, the ‘pass master‘ snapped up from rivals Aberdeen.
Former Rangers striker Kenny Miller, meanwhile, tells the Daily Record that he can see shades of Alfredo Morelos in the £1.7 million man Hamza Igamane.
But arguably none of those three deals come close to the rumour that came like a bolt from the blue on Saturday afternoon as far as pure intrigue and ambition goes.
Rangers make shock move for Sevilla’s Joan Jordan
According to Fabrizio Romano, Rangers have made a highly surprisingly attempt to bring in Joan Jordan on loan from La Liga giants Sevilla.
And while the deal is ‘currently off’ – Romano indicates that Sevilla would require Rangers to pay every penny of Jordan’s near £70,000-a-week weekly wages, per Fbref – you certainly cannot fault the ambition of the Ibrox outfit.
Under Clement and recruitment chief Nils Koppen, Rangers have tended to prioritise young, hungry players from outside of Europe’s major leagues. A proven, established and experienced La Liga performer in 30-year-old Jordan, then, is very much a different sort of target.
Perhaps Rangers feel a player of his ilk is worth breaking tradition for.
Jordan might have fallen out of favour at Sevilla – he played only eight La Liga games in 2023/24 – but it’s not long since he was viewed as among the finest central midfielders in Spain.
The former Eibar playmaker was reportedly valued at £30 million amid links with Arsenal a few years back, per The Sun. He also came close to joining West Ham before Sevilla’s legendary sporting director Monchi lured him to Andalusia instead.
“I was very close to moving to England,” Jordan told The Athletic two years ago. “I had an interesting offer. “On a financial level, I lost out a bit. As we all know, the financial level in the Premier League is spectacularly strong.
“But I wanted to come here, to improve as a player, which was my objective.”
Jordan is also a two-time Europa League winner.
Sevilla block deal for now
Whether there is still a deal there to be done for Rangers remains to be seen. Perhaps Sevilla will be a little more open to letting Jordan go when Albert Sambi Lokonga – Arsenal’s £17 million forgotten man – seals his move to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Sevilla are also signing the long-serving Atletico Madrid ace Saul Niguez.
But it appears that Rangers’ ambitions will go unrewarded as long as Sevilla are reluctant to accept a deal that sees Jordan arrive on loan while the Scottish Premiership challengers pay only a percentage of his hefty wages.
Jordan, then, may have to accept a pay cut if he is keen to pursue a fresh start on British soil.
