Rangers have been linked with a move to bring defender Bruno Alves to Ibrox this summer.
Bruno Alves celebrates
According to Italian newspaper La Nuova Sardegna, Cagliari defender Bruno Alves doesn’t want to leave the club this summer, and is likely to snub a move to Rangers as a result.
Alves, 35, has enjoyed a productive career with the likes of Porto, Zenit St. Petersburg and Fenerbahce, and having featured for Portugal at Euro 2016 last summer, he joined Italian side Cagliari.
Since making the move to Sardinia, the powerful centre back has played 34 Serie A games and scored once as he has helped Cagliari comfortably avoid relegation to Serie B.
Despite his advancing years, Alves appears to have attracted interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with The Express recently claiming that Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha had earmarked Alves as a possible signing.
Portugal’s Bruno Alves in action with Wales’ Hal Robson-Kanu
However, Sardinia-based newspaper La Nuova Sardegna report that whilst Rangers contacted Alves’ agent over the possibility of making the move to Ibrox, he doesn’t want to leave Cagliari, and is likely to decline Rangers’ offer.
That would be a major blow to Caixinha, as whilst Alves was always something of an ambitious target, he could have brought vital experience and a winning mentality to Ibrox in what is a crucial transfer window for the Gers.
Cagliari’s Bruno Alves in action against Roma
With Clint Hill and Philippe Senderos leaving the club when their contracts expire this summer, Rangers may need two centre backs rather than one, to boost a backline that were exposed in the 5-1 defeat to Celtic last month.
If Italian reports are to be believed, Rangers will have to look elsewhere, with Alves seemingly reluctant to make a move this summer, leaving Caixinha to go back to the drawing board – though there is plenty of time to try and change Alves’ mind over the coming weeks and months.
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