Rangers are reportedly set to miss out in the race for St. Etienne winger Denis Bouanga this summer, with L’Equipe reporting Gareth Bale’s new club Los Angeles FC set to pay the required £4.2million asking price.
Bouanga, 27, is expected to leave St. Etienne this summer – after Les Verts suffered relegation. The 32-time Gabon international has entered the final 12 months of his contract, and Rangers were among the clubs interested.
Reports surfaced this week that Rangers had made an offer – along with Club Brugge and Anderlecht. However, the two Belgian sides and Rangers did not meet St. Etienne’s asking price of £4.2million.
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LAFC had made the biggest offer, worth £3million – but that was still not enough. Now, L’Equipe report that LAFC have increased their initial bid to meet St. Etienne’s asking price. Bouanga looks set to move to the States.
Rangers miss out in Bouanga race: Bale’s LAFC close to deal
Rangers could do with another winger. Yes, they have Ryan Kent, Rabbi Matondo, Scott Wright, Fashion Sakala, Malik Tillman and Tom Lawrence. But Lawrence and Tillman look more likely to play as no.10’s.
For Wright and Sakala, they have hardly set the world alight. Good squad options, but they are certainly not good enought to be starting Champions League matches – if Rangers get there. Matondo and Kent are excellent.
But the Gers need more than just two, and Bouanga would have added to that. His years in Ligue 1 prove that. A bargain at little over £4million, but it seems LAFC have won the race and Rangers will be forced to look elsewhere.
The Gers are next in action this weekend, when they play host to Kilmarnock at Ibrox – their first home game of the season. Next week, they come up against Union Saint-Gilloise in the second leg, with a 2-0 deficit to overturn.
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