Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers were ‘extremely interested’ in signing £3 million Russian Premier League striker Gamid Agalarov during the summer transfer window, his agent says in quotes reported by Rangers Review.
No one scored more goals in Russia last term than Agalarov. His tally of 19 in just 27 starts looks even more impressive when you consider that his FC Ufa side ended up in the relegation zone, dropping down to the second tier via the play-offs.
After bursting onto the scene in such style, Agalarov was never likely to stick around. The Russia U21 international joined Akhmat Grozny in a £3 million deal in July, but only after Rangers had tried and failed to lure him to Ibrox.
Rangers showed an interest in Russia U21 striker Gamid Agalarov
“From February onwards, Glasgow Rangers were extremely interested in signing Gamid,” explains Jamal Akaev, Agalarov’s agent.
“The club continued to show interest after those events in Ukraine (the Russian invasion). I have a good relationship with their sporting director Ross Wilson. But it didn’t happen.
“Rangers have a Polish scout in Eastern Europe and he watched all of Gamid’s matches and asked me for his details. But they weren’t able to put together a concrete proposal and Rangers signed another striker instead.”
With 13 goals in 18 games, Antonio Colak hasn’t done too badly since arriving in Glasgow in place of Agalarov. The latter, meanwhile, has found the net just once for Akhmat, raising fears that his breakthrough 2021/22 campaign was something of a flash in the proverbial pan.
Ufa’s general director, Shamil Gazizov, admits that clubs in England’s top flight had also shown an interest. Newcastle United were reportedly one of those; allegedly impressed with a ruthless centre-forward who hit the target 20 times in all competitions for a struggling side.
Agalarov is not the only RPL frontman who was on Rangers’ radar either. Matteo Cassierra, now at Zenit St Petersburg, is also struggling for form since making a big-money move.
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