Rangers eye French solution to left back problem

Nottingham Forest v AS Monaco - Pre-Season Friendly
Nottingham Forest v AS Monaco - Pre-Season Friendly | Ed Sykes/GettyImages

Rangers have started life under Russell Martin with two new defenders in the backline for the UEFA Champions League qualifying win over Greek side Panathinaikos.

New signing Nasser Djiga has partnered John Souttar at the heart of the defence, whilst Max Aarons has occupied the left back slot, with club captain James Tavernier continuing on the right-hand side.

Aarons however, is naturally a right back, and was expected to dislodge Tavernier this season as the skipper comes into the final year of his Ibrox deal.

He has been utilized at left back so far, as the new boss does not seem to favour any of the incumbent left sided options.

Ridvan Yilmaz has been told he can depart, and Robbie Fraser is expected to leave the club on loan, whilst the new head coach seems to see Jefte as a development project and not as a starter yet.

Therefore, a new starting left back is badly needed at Ibrox, with Aarons looking uncomfortable on the left hand side, despite the role being of an inverted full back.

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The club were linked with Liverpool defender Owen Beck earlier in the window, but the former Dundee loanee has since joined EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers on loan from the English Premier League champions.

Also linked have been James Penrice, who has also departed his former club Hearts for Greek Super League club AEK Athens and Max Lowe, who looks set to depart financially troubled Sheffield Wednesday.

But a new target has come to light today for the slot in 20-year-old French under 21 international Kassoum Ouattara.

The Monaco full back is linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 club, with Foot Mercato reporting that his club are open to a sale this summer.

Rangers have been noted with an interest with a loan move with a purchase option, as have Celtic, PSV, Augsburg and Toulouse, but the principality side would prefer a straight sale.

Ouattara's strengths lie in his physicality, strong defensive abilities, and impressive speed and agility. 

He is known for his ability to win 1v1 duels, his strong pressing game, and his capability to make line-breaking passes and carry the ball up field, and this would fit in well with Martin’s system and align with the club’s transfer policy so far this window.

French football expert Joel LeFevre from Get French Football News told Inside Ibrox: “Like many young players at Monaco, he’s being linked with a move elsewhere.

“He’s a strong, physical tackler and delivers a good cross, though his aerial ability could use improvement, but it is not as critical for a left-back as it is for a centre-half.

Right now, he’s competing with Henrique for minutes, and I’m not sure he’d get the regular game time he’s looking for at either of the Glasgow clubs.

That said, plenty of teams are showing interest, and with good reason. He’s raw, but there’s a lot of potential there.”

However, when a player is linked with both sides of the old firm it is more often than not talk from the players agent, looking to use the famous names to drum up more interest in their client.

Whether this one is paper talk, or is a legitimate target remains to be seen but the Frenchman certainly ticks a lot of boxes.