Glasgow Rangers completed their latest signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday when they confirmed the arrival of Djedi Gassama at Ibrox.
The 21-year-old winger has arrived at Rangers on a four-year deal to bolster Russell Martin’s options on the flanks, after he scored seven goals in 43 games last season.
Gassama will be hoping to provide a threat in the final third on a regular basis for the Scottish Premiership giants next term, and could be in line to make his debut against Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier later this month.
The French forward may not be the only player to arrive at Ibrox this week, though, as there is another player who wants to make the switch to Glasgow in the coming days.
English star pushing to sign for Rangers
One of Martin’s transfer targets is said to be pushing for a move to Ibrox this week, and it could be an even better signing than Gassama if they can get it over the line.
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According to the Daily Record, Leicester City central defender wants to complete a transfer to Rangers from the Championship side by the end of this week.
The report claims that the former England international is ready to plead with the Foxes to give him the green light to make the move to Ibrox, in order to be in the squad to face Panathinaikos later this month.
It adds that Martin is a big fan of Coady and that the player wants to join the club to be the ‘linchpin’ of the new defensive set-up at Ibrox next season.
Why Coady would be a better signing than Gassama
At least for next season, the veteran central defender could be an even better signing than Gassama because of the quality and experience that he could use to hit the ground running.
Gassama, at the age of 21, is a young and promising forward who may need time to adapt to Scottish football and to grow as a player, having only managed eight goal contributions in 43 games in the second tier in England last term.
Meanwhile, Coady is 32 and has made 198 appearances in the Premier League. He has proven himself at the very top level in domestic European football, and showcased his in-possession qualities when Leicester were in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.
Passes completed
84.99
Top 5%
Pass accuracy
93%
Top 1%
Progressive passes
7.20
Top 1%
Passes into the final third
7.20
Top 2%
xAG
0.05
Top 16%
Progressive passing distance
556 yards
Top 3%
Through balls
0.26
Top 2%
As you can see in the table above, the English star is a centre-back who has the quality and mentality to be incredibly progressive with his use of the ball, helping his team to play through the thirds quickly and effectively in a ball-dominant team.
Off the ball, Coady won 64% of his duels that season for the Foxes in their title-winning campaign, which shows that he can also dominate opposition attackers in physical tussles.
The former Wolves captain, who was described as an “infectious” character by Gareth Southgate, is a proven quantity who would be able to arrive at Rangers to provide instant, almost guaranteed, quality on the pitch with his abilities in and out of possession as a centre-back.
There is far less risk attached to signing a proven player like Coady, who was playing in the Premier League last season, than bringing in a 21-year-old from the second division in England.
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That is not to say that Gassama will be a bad signing, or that he is not an exciting addition, but Martin also needs instant quality and that is why Coady may be an even better piece of business if they can get it over the line this week.