It appears that Rangers’ best chance of signing a midfielder this month rests largely on the contract situations of their respective transfer targets.
Because, while Marko Soldo is too expensive at £2.5 million and while Darius Olaru’s £4 million release clause put him out of the reach at Ibrox, Rangers appear to have turned towards two alternative midfield targets.
Two players who’s contracts are due to expire in the summer.
Rangers are leading the race for Dundee’s Lyall Cameron. One of the rising stars of Scottish football – eight goals and seven assists this term under Tony Docherty – Cameron can be snapped up on a pre-contract arrangement with any fee to be decided by a tribunal later down the line.
Rangers believe they can repeat the deal which brought Connor Barron to Glasgow from Aberdeen to the tune of an initial £650,000.
Then, at the other end of the age spectrum, there is Sasa Zdjelar.
Seven years older than Cameron and completely unproven in the British game, Zdjelar would arguably be a more high-risk, potentially low-reward addition. Yet, capped nine times by Serbia and a regular in one of Russia’s premiere clubs in CSKA Moscow, what Zdjelar lacks in re-sale potential he maybe makes up for in experience and trophy-winning nous.
- READ MORE: Rangers Transfer History 2016-Present
CSKA Moscow urged to let Sasa Zdjelar join Rangers
The 29-year-old picked up silverware not only in Russia but in Greece [Olympiakos] and his native Serbia too [Partizan Belgrade].
Sasa Zdjelar’s potential switch to Rangers has divided opinion over in Russia. While some have labelled a mid-season from departure from Moscow a nightmare for CSKA’s European hopes, others feel that ‘CSKA should probably sell Sasa to Rangers‘, to quote former coach Aleksandr Tarkhanov.
Alexandr Grishin, a CSKA favourite of the 1990s, sides with Tarkhanov.
He feels that the capital city club cannot afford to overlook the financial side of things, with January being their last chance to sell Zdjelar for any kind of sum.
“Zdelar is a good player for the Russian Premier League,” Grishin tells Championat. “But in the situation with his sale, everything must work out. If CSKA wants to sell him, and Zdelar plans to leave the club, this transfer must be carried out.
“Everything must come together so that the club and the player are comfortable in such a situation.”
CSKA told they can replace Zdjelar if Ibrox switch happens
It is understood that CSKA Moscow are ‘open to selling’ Sasa Zdjelar before the deadline in early February. How much Rangers would be willing to pay – or how much CSKA want – remains to be seen.
But considering that Rangers’ only deal of the window so far was a temporary one for LOSC Lille loanee Rafael Fernandes, and considering that even Soldo’s £2.5 million asking price is considered a little steep, their interest in soon-to-be free-agent Zdjelar is a reminder as to the sort of situation the cash-strapped club find themselves as they dip into bargain basements rather than casting their eyes over more up-market produce.
“Of course, CSKA needs to sell Zdelar to Rangers in the winter to get money and strengthen their team,” Dmitry Karsakov, another former CSKA player, says. “I think he won’t be a huge loss for the Army Men, because there are other players who can replace him.
“For example, [Matvey] Kislyak, who has been playing very well lately. If CSKA needed this player, they wouldn’t let him go. But in this case, the situation is different.”
