The Glasgow Rangers appear to be trapped in their next head coach as Russell Martin is heavily promoted on his move to Ibrox ahead of next season.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the Scottish manager accepts the project in Glasgow and is ready to join Light Blues this summer.
Martin, who cast a loan spell at Ibrox late in the 2017/18 campaign, has lost his job since being released from his job from Southampton, the Premier League side, at the end of 2024.
Supporters may be concerned about looting on top UK flights, but former Norwich City Centre Back also has done a lot of good work in the championship with the Saints and is supported by the success of his former teammates.
As you can see in the clip above, Stephen Naismith believes Martin brings a clear style to Ibrox, who has been missing from his recent appointments for management.
Russell Martin can bring to the Rangers the style of play
Looking at the way his Southampton team played in the championship, we can see how his Rangers team can be seen in the Scottish premiership as they expect the team to challenge themselves at the top of the table.
He coached a Bold Minant team that was progressive and creative, but always wanted to take control of the game, rather than simply owning it.
Martin hopes to play with the goal of creating opportunities and scoring goals, and his Southampton team did it effectively in the championship in the 2023/24 campaign.
Russell Martin’s offensive style play | ||
---|---|---|
23/24 Championship | Southampton | League Rank |
Accuracy | 87.7% | First |
Move to the penalty area | 594 | First |
Progressive Pass | 2556 | First |
Shot creation action | 1255 | First |
xg | 79.8 | Second |
Points for each game | 1.89 | Fourth |
Statistics via FBREF |
As you can see from the table above, the saints were ranked first in the league of progressive passes and moved to the penalty area.
Southampton usually started the match in that campaign in a 4-3-3 formation. Often, one winger can drift through the infield to form a striker and a front two, and another traditional wide man can be formed on the opposite side.
This means that if the Ranger passes by appointing Martin, he should aim to recruit players who fit his positionally flexible system with his bold dominant during the summer transfer period.
With this in mind, the 49ers were able to land the dream of signing first at Ibrox by diving for the Leeds United star, which is linked to the move to Glasgow.
Leeds Star Rangers are linked
Earlier this month, TeamTalk reported that Rangers had emerged as a potential suitor for Leeds Forward Largie Ramazani ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The outlet claimed that the Premiership giant was “monitoring” his situation on Elland Road.
Ramazani said it coincides with how the club wants to recruit talent in the transfer market as they are looking for a young, dynamic player who can thrive in the Prime Minister and European competition.
However, Daniel Fark has yet to make a final decision on his future in West Yorkshire, so it is still unclear whether the £100 million rated forward will be able to move this summer.
However, the 49ers and sports director Kevin Selwell should strive to agree to a deal with the Belgian forward, as he will be Martin’s first signing at Ibrox.
Why Ragie Ramazani becomes the dream signature for Russell Martin
As mentioned earlier, the Southampton team of Scottish coaches usually had a traditional direct winger on the left side and a central player on the right side of the championship.
The Ramazani is perfect for the Ranger on the left side of Martin’s system. Natural wide players take the player to make things happen in the last third, using dribbling and pace to cause problems with opposition teams.
In fact, talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as “Mini Vinicius.” This refers to Vinicius Jr of Real Madrid due to his “electric” and “explosive” playstyle and the fact that he is both an agile and dynamic right-footed left wing.
He may not have scored 21 goals and 15 assists like Vinicius JR in the 2024/25 campaign, but Ramazani’s format of Leeds’ limited minutes suggests that he could be an exciting addition to GERS.
24/25 Championship | Ragie Ramazani (for 90) | Percentile rank vs. Att. Mid & Winger |
---|---|---|
Non-penalty xg | 0.53 | Top 1% |
Non-penalty goals | 0.68 | Top 1% |
assist | 0.23 | Top 18% |
Non-penalty XG + Expected Support Goals | 0.69 | Top 1% |
Progressive Pass | 4.29 | Top 18% |
Progressive Carry | 4.63 | Top 8% |
Statistics via FBREF |
As you can see from the table above, the 24-year-old attacker was highly ranked to score and create goals within the league positioning peers, consistently moving the ball through carry and passing.
This suggests he will be the ideal fit for Martin’s system. This requires players to constantly advance their play, but the final third of the quality must be different manufacturers in the match.
Ramazani finished the season with six goals and two assists in the division, despite starting only seven of his 29 appearances.
Now, imagine a Belgian winger from the Rangers team managed by Martin.
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Ramazani is the first signing to both Martin and the 49ers, and is perfectly suited to potential new manager style play as he could potentially turn the game into the wings.