FCSB have performed a dramatic U-turn on the future of reported Rangers target Darius Olaru with president Gigi Becali now telling DigiSport that the Romania international is ‘no longer leaving’ this summer.
As ever, when it comes to Gigi Becali, its always advisable to expect the unexpected.
The long-serving president of the club formerly-known as Steaua Bucharest claimed back in July that Olaru was set to depart before September’s transfer deadline, having received a £5 million bid for the technically-gifted attacking midfielder.
Rangers, according to ProSport, had scouted Olaru a couple of months ago. So too had clubs from across the continent, and the Middle East. Flash forward to mi-August, however, and things have changed.
“Olaru is no longer leaving,” Becali says. “I will not sell him anymore.”
No Ibrox move for Darius Olaru
What altered Becali’s mind is anyone’s guess. How serious Rangers were about the one-time West Ham target, meanwhile, is also a matter of debate.
Speculation linking Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Europa League runners-up with Olaru – who has been compared to Kevin de Bruyne back home in Romania – dried up somewhat following the arrivals of Tom Lawrence and Malik Tillman from Derby County and Bayern Munich respectively.
And both players have made their mark in Rangers colours already. Tillman and Lawrence each found the net in Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of St Johnstone. The former, in particular, is achieving cult hero status in double-quick time with his eye for goal and mesmerising footwork. It was Tillman’s towering header that completed the Champions League turnaround against Union Saint-Gilloise.
“The games we watched of him from last season, you could see his quality and the understanding he has with players around him,” beams Gers boss Van Bronckhorst.
“I think that’s very high level. You could see his performances since he came in against Livingston and all the games after that… He’s becoming a very important player for us.
“His overall play, you could see he’s a big talent.”
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