Rangers make inquiries to sign “intriguing” stars

The Glasgow Rangers are scheduled to play for Ibrox in the first leg of the second round Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday night.

This was Russell Martin, the Scottish Premiership Giants who arrived this summer, and he hopes for a positive outcome as he returns to Greece next week.

Both Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin have their teams named for the match, and both are set to appear in the middle of the Gers park.

However, both players are also linked to moves away from Ibrox. Real Betis reportedly provided a move for Raskin, but Light Blues is preparing for a bid from Diomande’s Besiktas.

This means that by the time the summer transfer window officially closes in early September, it’s still not known if they’re still with the Rangers.

He was an impressive performer in the club’s premiership last season, so losing one or both would be a big blow for Martin.

Why is losing Diomande and Ruskin a huge blow to the Ranger?

Diomande is a very versatile midfield option that can be played as a defensive, box-to-box, or attacking midfielder due to the wide range of attributes he has.

Ivorian’s talent earned 55% of the duel, with 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game, and went along the distance of the Scottish Giants’ four goals and seven assists in the premiership. This shows he can contribute to a team he doesn’t own in the middle of the park.

Ruskin is a similar player in the sense that Belgian International is another central midfielder that can be used in numerous midfield roles due to the qualities of the ball up and down.

As you can see in the table above, both Raskin and Diomande provided defensively and offensively quality in the midst of the Ranger, providing threats at the top edge of the pitch while tackling and intercepting regularly.

This is why Martin will lose either or both of them, as it has been proven that he is a proven performer who contributes on both ends of the pitch.

Perhaps with their future in mind, Rangers are reportedly watching a move in which another midfielder comes in and strengthens their options in that position.

Rangers Lodge Teen Talent Inquiries

According to Cukaricki Sporting Director Vladimir Matijašević, the Rangers are one of the clubs interested in signing teenage midfielder Andrej Bacanin this summer.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “There’s a lot of interest in the young players. For now, the spotlight is on Andrezivachanin’s transfer. His performance last season on both our team and on the youth level Serbian national side has attracted attention from many clubs.

“We’ve had inquiries from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers. Clubs like Ajax and Udinese are also interested. That could bring more options out, but we expect the transfer to be completed within the next 10 days.”

This is just as close to a confirmation of genuine interest as you can move on to “rumors” as you confirm that the sports director himself has asked about a possible deal for the 18-year-old star.

With the Rangers appearing to pursue the movements of the Serbian youth, Martin was able to get a version of Glenn Kamara next season.

Why is Bakanin likely to become the next Kamara for Rangers?

The 18-year-old talent may not be the ideal signature to trade Raskin or Diomande in the short term due to his age and lack of experience, but he may be a great signature for the future.

Cukaricki Maestro is also a different type of central midfielder than both stars. He is a player who sets the tempo that he likes to break up plays and decides his passing abilities and matches. Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, Diomande and Ruskin thrive more as box-to-box players of all actions that can influence defensively and offensively.

Serbian football scouts, a professional scout for MLS Side Colorado Rapids, have spoken about both his theatrical style and potential, as Bakanin is a “true midfield controller” and one of the “most interesting young midfield talents”.

Serbian U19 International made its first team breakthrough in its 2024/25 campaign, catching eye with a promising display in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the table above, there are many similarities when it comes to winning the Kamala title from the 2020/21 Premiership, compared to Serbian Bakanin’s groundbreaking season.

At the age of 18, the Serb youth, as shown by the accuracy of the pass, is far from the completed article, but likes to see the teenage talent sitting at the roots of the midfield to disperse the attack, resembling Kamala as he sprays long passes.

As the Colorado Rapids Scouts said, Bakanin is a controller in the middle of the park and could potentially develop into a former Rangers star in Martin’s own version, who is currently playing for Rennes in League One.

He’s probably not the perfect alternative to Diomande or Ruskin, but the 18-year-old starlet seems worth signing up as a young talent with the potential to become a Kamala-esque star in the future.