The West Ham United wonderkid has turned heads with his stand-out displays for the reserves and Rangers are heading the queue for his signature.
Not every Rangers fan will agree with Mark Warburton’s transfer policy. After all, there is a great degree of risk involved when pinning your hopes on unproven teenagers with barely a sniff of senior league action on their CV.
As it stands, the likes of Jordan Rossiter and Joe Dodoo, talented youngsters who failed to make the grade at Liverpool and Leicester, have failed to inspire any kind of a title challenge with Celtic 19 points clear at the top of the table.
And, on the face of it, the signing of a 17-year-old midfielder who only signed his first professional contract two months ago is unlikely to help bridge the gap.
The Daily Mirror reports that West Ham have rejected Rangers offer to take Domingos Quina on loan for the rest of the campaign in a deal that mirrors their short-term signing of Arsenal starlet Gedion Zelalem last season.
However, the Guinea-Bissau born talent is no normal 17-year-old. Turning down interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, as reported by the Daily Mirror, the teenager has thrived in Premier League B and a full senior debut in the second half of the season does not appear beyond the realms of possibility.
According to West Ham academy director Terry Westley, there is no limit to Quina’s potential.
“It shows how far we’ve come in the last few years; attracting one of the best talents, not only in England, but in Europe,” Westley told the club’s official website back in November.
“He’s that good. He’s got that star quality.”
Therefore, Rangers’ approach is not as uninspiring as it first appears and the fact that the Hammers are unwilling to sanction a loan to one of Britain’s most illustrious clubs suggests Quina is part of the capital club’s short-term, as well as long-term, plans.
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