Rangers in transfer breakthrough as £7m ace 'reaches agreement' - and why another could soon follow
Rangers have had a breakthrough in the transfer market, according to reports.
Rangers head coach Russell Martin is closing in on his first signing at Ibrox after reports claimed the club had reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with AFC Bournemouth defender Max Aarons - and another transfer could follow soon after.
According to Italian transfer guru Matteo Moretto, the Gers have struck up an deal with the 25-year-old right-back on a deal that will see him move to the blue side of Glasgow on a season-long loan deal, with Rangers said to have ‘nearly finalised’ a transfer for the defender.
Part of the England side that won the European Under-21 Championship two years ago, Aarons has been capped various times by the Three Lions youth side, and has twice won the EFL Championship title with Norwich City. During his first title success with the Canaries in 2019, he was also named the EFL’s Young Player of the Year.
Eventually departing Carrow Road in August 2023, he completed a £7million move to the English Premier League, signing a long-term deal at Bournemouth following his hugely successful four-year spell in East Anglia. However, he has struggled to make the same level of impact at the Vitality Stadium, playing just three league games for Spanish boss Andoni Iraola last season.
After being starved of regular first team football, he was allowed to depart the club in order to sign for La Liga giants Valencia on a loan with a view to a permanent deal. However, that move also failed to work out for Aarons, and he left the Mestalla Stadium having played just four games for the club. The Spanish side opted against the option to sign him on a full-time basis, which has allowed Rangers to swoop.
And the English full-back could soon by joined by out-of-contract Peterborough United ace Kwame Poku, after it was claimed Rangers ‘believed they had won the race’ to sign the in-demand winger. Poku, 23, has been linked to newly promoted English Premier League side Sunderland, Birmingham City and several clubs on the continent.
Currently a free agent after his deal at Weston Homes Stadium came to an end, a report from the Peterborough Telegraph claims the Light Blues believe they are in pole position for his signature, despite late interest from Ipswich Town and the Turkish Super Lig.
While the player is out-of-contract, the Posh will still be due a compensation fee after Poku signed for the club from Cambridge United before the age of 21. However, Rangers would likely pay significantly less than English clubs due to cross border rules - similar to the deal that brought Joe Aribo to Ibrox from Charlton Athletic in 2019 - meaning the deal is an attractive one for the club.
Should both deals get over the line, it will be a huge boost for new Rangers boss Martin, after it was claimed he had failed in his bid to sign Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling, with reports this morning claiming Norwich were ‘confident’ of signing the centre-back.
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