Rangers are allegedly closing in on Jonathan Panzo with the Nottingham Forest defender thought to be nearing an exit.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Panzo is set to leave Forest this summer.
It’s stated that Rangers are now ‘closing in’ on a deal to sign Panzo after months of speculation surrounding a deal.
The Daily Record reported way back in March that Rangers were targeting a deal for Panzo.
Michael Beale knows the defender from the Chelsea youth ranks and wants to join forces again at Ibrox.
Beale has already pulled off a similar deal for ex-Chelsea defender Dujon Sterling and would love to add Panzo too.
Panzo is a left-sided defender who can play at centre back or left back, providing the left-footed defender Beale is seeking after Filip Helander’s exit.
There will be real hope that the Mail are right and that this transfer saga can come to an end, but we have had a few false dawns on that front.
Jonathan Panzo to Rangers has been up and down
Since those initial Record reports, this rumour has been going one way and then the other.
Things went a little quiet before Football Scotland claimed late in May that Panzo was still wanted by Rangers.
The Daily Record then suggested in June that Rangers were ‘ending closer’ to signing Panzo for around £2.5million.
Nearly a month on, Panzo still hasn’t joined.
In fact, The Scottish Mail on Sunday (25/06, p109) claimed that Rangers currently won’t meet Forest’s demands for Panzo.
The reality is though that Panzo doesn’t really have a future at Forest, even under his former England youth coach Steve Cooper.
Premier League minutes are unlikely for Panzo and he was farmed out on loan to Coventry City last season.
It feels like this deal does get done in the end but we would understand any Rangers fan being a little sceptical right now.
