Rangers have been linked with a move for defender Rashid Sumaila.
Rashid Sumaila in training with Ghana
New Al-Gharafa boss Jean Fernandez has been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that defender Rashid Sumaila won’t be returning to the club for next season.
Fernandez, formerly of Marseille, Auxerre and Montpellier, was this week appointed as Al-Gharafa’s new manager, with the Qatari outfit finally replacing Pedro Caixinha following his move to Rangers in March.
Fernandez will be looking to assess his squad, but he will immediately have to make do without defender Rashid Sumaila, who has returned to parent club Al Qadsia following a loan spell.
Sumaila, 24, had spells with Ebusua Dwarfs, Asante Kotoko and Mamelodi Sundowns, before joining Al Qadsia, and it was Caixinha who took him to Al-Gharafa in 2016.
Ghana’s Rashid Sumaila with Netherlands ace Arjen Robben
The Ghanaian international defender, who has earned six caps for his country, was one of Caixinha’s most trusted players, and speculation has unsurprisingly linked him with a move to Rangers.
With Clint Hill and Philippe Senderos set to leave Ibrox when their contracts expire this summer, Caixinha will need another centre back – and Sumaila fits the bill.
Agent Pedro Pinto told the Daily Mail earlier this month that Rangers were keen to land Sumaila, but that situation has been complicated by the fact that Sumaila’s contract with Al Qadsia runs for another three years.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
However, Rangers have been given something of a boost after Caixinha’s replacement Fernandez was quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that Sumaila will not be returning to Al-Gharafa next season, with the club already looking to alternative targets – possibly leaving Rangers in the clear to target his signature.
“We will discuss an alternative to Rashid for next season,” said Fernandez. He is back at his club and won’t be coming back,” he added.
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