Maccabi Haifa have now approached Rangers to register their interest in a last-ditch move to sign Nikola Katic on loan or permanently in the last days of the summer transfer market.
Rangers now receive fresh Nikola Katic transfer approach from Maccabi Haifa
According to The Glasgow Times, Maccabi Haifa have now contacted Rangers to sound out a deal for Nikola Katic. The Israeli side are open to signing the Croatian defender in either a loan or permanent transfer, having seen Giovanni van Bronckhorst freeze him out at Ibrox.
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Katic returned to the Premiership giants at the end of last season, having spent the term at Hajduk Split on loan. The 25-year-old played 25 fixtures for the Croatian club, but admitted to Sportske in July that they could not afford to use the €1.5m (£1.25m) option to buy him.
Rangers still expect Katic to leave Ibrox before the transfer window slams shut, though, as Van Bronckhorst is averse to reintroducing the defender to his plans. The one-cap centre-half made his 59th and most recent Gers outing in March 2020 before his ACL injury woes.
Katic has also not featured in any of Rangers’ matchday squads so far this season through their first nine games. Van Bronckhorst ranks Connor Goldson, James Sands, John Souttar, Ben Davies, Filip Helander and Leon King over the £2m arrival from Slaven Belupo in 2018.
Maccabi Haifa may now end Katic’s time in the Glasgow wilderness, having registered their interest in a deal with Rangers. The Israeli Premier League outfit are eager to bolster Barak Bakhar’s Sammy Ofer Stadium backline ahead of the Champions League group stage run.
Glasgow departure would signal failure to fulfil Steven Gerrard’s expectations
UEFA dealt Maccabi Haifa a brutal draw for the first round of the Champions League – the first Israeli outfit to qualify in seven years – with the Greens booked to face French, Italian and Portuguese giants with Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Benfica named in Group H.
Katic could offer Bakhar some added European experience in defence with 17 games in the Europa League for Rangers. Although just three of his outings occurred after the qualifying stages, with previous boss Steven Gerrard regularly leaving the centre-back on the bench.
Gerrard was confident in the potential Katic possessed through his time in charge at Ibrox, however. The Aston Villa coach once noted, via the Rangers Twitter feed, that the Croatian ‘ticks every box’ in his bravery and desire to win, and could go on to become a ‘top player’.
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