Rangers make contact about signing 6ft 1 defender who may replace Balogun

Rangers have now enquired about signing a new defender for Philippe Clement as they look to refresh a squad that has struggled this season, according to a new report.

Rangers season so far

Penalty heartbreak in the Scottish League Cup final at the hands of bitter rivals Celtic over the weekend was the latest problematic result for Clement’s side in a season that has not gone to plan.

After battling back gamely to level at 3-3 and take the tie to extra time and penalties, the Ibrox side lost out as Kasper Schmeichel saved Ridvan Yilmaz’s penalty in what was the only miss of the shootout, to help ensure Celtic claimed the trophy.

Rangers have undoubtedly improved since their slow start to the season, but remain a mammoth 11 points off the pace in the Scottish Premiership after losing three times in the opening weeks of the season.

With that title dream likely over, and the League Cup also no longer on the table, the Scottish Cup and Europa League are arguably all that the Gers have left to play for this season, and it is in Europe that they have impressed.

Currently sitting eighth with two games left to play, they have lost just once and held Tottenham to a credible 1-1 draw in their most recent outing, leaving them in a strong spot to qualify for the knockout rounds. Now though, attention is seemingly turning towards future transfers in 2025.

Rangers enquire about signing new defender

That is according to a report coming out of Morocco, which claims that Rangers have lodged an enquiry to sign 24-year-old defender Hatim Essaouabi ahead of next summer’s transfer window.

A 6ft 1 centre-back, Essaouabi currently plies his trade for Moroccan champions FAR Rabat, the same side that Rangers plucked Hamza Igamane from in the most recent summer transfer window.

Now, their scouts have been “impressed” by his former teammate and compatriot Essaouabi, and the report claims that the Scottish giants are now “seriously considering recruiting him during the next summer transfer window”.

Though the club signed Robin Propper over the summer, Rangers are still light at centre-back, with Leon King and Clinton Nsiala both young and inexperienced, while Leon Balogun will turn 37 years old at the end of the season and is due to see his contract at Ibrox expire, meaning that Rangers may need to add another option in the heart of defence.

Essaouabi could prove a logical replacement, with the defender unlikely to be an expensive signing and, given that he is just 24 years old, approaching the peak of his career but with over a decade likely still ahead of him.

No mention of price tag or Essaouabi’s own desires are made in the report, but Rangers already have a link through Igamane and could return next summer to use the same formula once more to upgrade their defence.