Scottish Premiership champions Rangers look set to miss out on signing Alhassan Yusuf with ScoreNigeria claiming the IFK Goteborg midfielder has agreed a £1.3 million move to Royal Antwerp.
When quizzed on his future just last week, the 20-year-old midfielder did his best to distance himself from the speculation.
Yusuf insisted he was in no rush to leave the Allsvenskan behind, batting away reported interest from the likes of Rangers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Leicester City.
“I know nothing about it because, now, the focus is only on my matches here, so we’ll see what happens,” Yusuf said.
“Gothenburg is like home for me. I have no stress to leave.”
Just four days later, however, that very same player is, in fact, leaving. According to ScoreNigeria, Royal Antwerp have agreed a deal that will see Yusuf move to Belgium for a cut-price fee of £1.3 million.
Why have Rangers missed out on Alhassan Yusuf for just £1.3m?
And, if you are wondering why Goteborg are letting him go on the cheap, this should explain it. Yusuf was due to become a free agent next year and £1.3 million, while hardly a bank-busting fee, is better than nothing.
Interestingly, ScoreNigeria adds Wolves had a £6 million bid rejected in 2019, when Yusuf was still a teenager.
It’s uncertain why the Premier League outfit didn’t renew their interest, especially with doubts hanging over the futures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves at Molineux.
Rangers, meanwhile, are understood to still be on the lookout for a midfielder despite landing John Lundstram on a free from Sheffield United earlier in July.
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