The Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, is said to have been close to bringing him to Ibrox.
Rade Dugalic has claimed, via the Daily Record, that he could have been a Rangers player.
But who is the defender Steven Gerrard was allegedly keen on, and might a move to Ibrox still be on the cards?
HITC Sport takes a look…
What exactly did he say?
“Steven Gerrard is my absolute idol in football and I almost signed for him at Rangers. When I played for Tosno, I was contacted by Gerrard to go and play for his Scottish team.
“For the transfer to go through, I was told Rangers wanted to run it past all 11 of their scouts before they gave it their approval. Ten of them approved me, but one didn’t and the transfer never went through.
“Instead an offer came to sign for Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan and I went there instead.”
What type of player is he?
A six-foot-four-inch centre-back whose strengths include: aerial duels, ball interception and key passes, according to WhoScored.com. He’s predominantly right-footed, although his left peg isn’t too shabby.
He’s likened to…
Nemanja Vidic (for obvious reasons – both are Serbian) and the former Rangers defender, Bruno Alves, in this article by TRScouts.com. However, it is accepted that Dugalic is unlikely to reach the heights set by either player.
Do Rangers still need him?
With Joe Worrall and Gareth McAuley expected to depart this summer, the 26-year-old could be seen as a useful addition – even if the mystery 11th scout does not agree.
Has their chance passed?
Dugalic has moved twice since Rangers’ allegedly expressed an interest (when he could have been signed for free after Tosno’s liquidation, despite having won the Russian Cup just weeks before) and has only played four times for new employers, Kairat Almaty. That said, he’s only signed a two-year deal with the Kazakhstan side, which expires next winter. Considering the league’s most expensive export left for just £2.7 million, according to Transfermarkt, Dugalic might still be available at a fair price.
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