Rangers

Rangers are closing in on a deal to sign defender Rafael Fernandes, 22, on loan from Lille. (Sky Sports), external

Rangers are willing to accept a "major offer" for 30-year-old striker Cyriel Dessers this month. (Football Insider), external

If Hamza Igamane continues to improve at his current rate then Rangers are going to have a player "worth a small fortune", reckons former Ibrox skipper Barry Ferguson, who predicts his former club "may soon be made an offer which they can't possibly turn down". (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement has backed winger Oscar Cortes to have a "good career" at Ibrox, despite the Colombian suffering another injury setback.

Cortes spent the second half of last season in Glasgow on loan from Lens, but picked up an injury in March that kept him out for the rest of the campaign.

The 21-year-old returned on loan last summer with an obligation for Rangers to make the deal permanent, but has made just eight appearances in all competitions this season.

He missed the win against Aberdeen and will also sit out Sunday's Scottish Cup fourth-round tie with Fraserburgh at Ibrox.

Still, Clement backed the youngster to come good.

"Yes, because the injuries that he had afterwards had nothing to do with the injuries that he had last season," he said.

"The decision made by everybody in the club is that he has the talent to do it, when his physical state will be in a good way. So he needs rhythm for that, he needs training for that.

"We all know that he has the football qualities. He has the right mentality, he has the right vision, also the overview in the final third, where it is very important to have this composure.

"He showed all of that, so I don't see any reason why he would not make a good career here at Rangers."

Clement said Cortes will see a specialist to diagnose the extent of his current issue, but the Belgian manager hopes he will be back in action soon.

"I hope it's a short-term thing," Clement added. "It would have been ideal that he got minutes on Sunday, but it's part of football. It's unlucky. Football is a sport with duels.

"He's a strong boy. He has strong legs but sometimes you get hard knocks, so that's part of football, and he had a lot of bad luck the last couple of months.

"I'm disappointed for him because he's somebody with a good mentality, who wants to work hard, who's ambitious to make the right steps, who showed also good quality in the first weeks that he was here.

"Sometimes you can have bad luck and I hope this is the last part of bad luck for him in his career."

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Cup fourth round tie against Fraserburgh on Sunday.

Here's the best of what he had to say:

• Danilo and Oscar Cortes will both miss the game and are seeing specialists to diagnose the extent of their injuries, while Jack Butland is "still a question mark". Robin Propper is likely to return to training on Saturday.

• Clement has spoken to striker Cyriel Dessers about his lack of game-time recently, which the manager put down to Hamza Igamane's "evolution" as a footballer.

• The Belgian added that if Dessers wants to start every game, then perhaps he has a decision to make regarding his future, but Clement praised the Nigeria striker's mindset in training and how he is working with Igamane.

• Clement reiterated the need to improve Rangers' away results and says efforts are ongoing to do that.

• He expects "real changes" to take place now that chief executive Patrick Stewart is in post. Clement also spoke about a review into the football department, which started this week - "you need somebody from outside that can see the bigger picture".

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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For some, barring an upset of historical proportions, progress to the Scottish Cup fourth round is just all about a big pay day and the romance of the cup.

Fraserburgh's Sunday visit to Ibrox Stadium, a match being shown live on BBC One Scotland, surely comes into that category.

Philippe Clement has survived calls from some fan groups for his sacking after Rangers fell so far behind reigning champions Celtic in the league race, but the Belgian manager would surely never recover should the side sitting ninth in the Highland League be the first Scottish team to win at Ibrox this season.

Mark Cowie's Fraserburgh are themselves unbeaten in 11 outings, but only three of them were away from home and all those were draws.

Rangers, last season's beaten finalists, were visitors to Fraserburgh almost exactly seven years ago, leaving with a 3-0 win, but the part-timers' chairman, Michael Murray, says it is the size of the likely crowd at Ibrox that will be a financial game-changer for his club this time.

They did beat League 1 side Annan Athletic in the last round, but virtually nobody expects a repeat of 1959, when the Highland side beat Dundee, then third in the top flight, 1-0 in one of the greatest cup upsets.

Read Scottish Cup preview in full.

Cyriel Dessers says he wants more regular playing time and, although he would prefer that to be with Rangers, if it does not materialise, the 30-year-old striker is ready to hold talks about his future with the Scottish Premiership club. (VI), external

Rangers have enquired about Talleres centre-half Kevin Mantilla and the Argentine club are willing to allow the 21-year-old to leave amid interest from several clubs. (Nacho Castellano on X), external

Marko Soldo, the 21-year-old midfielder who was linked with Rangers, says reported interest from foreign clubs is a motivation but insists that he is concentrating on the rest of the season with Osijek. (Glas Slovenije), external

Rangers have decided to scrap their B-team after a review by technical director Nils Koppen. (Scottish Sun), external

Following a recent internal meeting, Rangers have decided that loan deals will now be prioritised over B-team matches for players on the fringes of Philippe Clement's squad. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Teenager Flynn McKay says it would be "the stuff of dreams" if he manages to get on the pitch against Rangers in Fraserburgh's Scottish Cup tie on Sunday.

The sixth-year Fraserburgh Academy pupil has captured his school's attention but joked he still hasn't managed to get out of doing homework.

Fraserburgh travel to Ibrox placed in ninth in the Highland League.

"All the teachers come up and ask: 'How are you feeling?'. They're also really excited, but also the school kids," the 17-year-old said.

"The younger ones coming up to me asking for photos and signatures and all that, so it's quite hectic at school.

"The teachers still expect me to do [my homework], even if it's on the bus on the way up or the way home.

"I've got quite a lot of my family and friends coming down, a couple of them are Rangers supporters as well, my granddad and uncle.

"If I was lucky enough to get on the pitch, it's the stuff of dreams".

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Ianis Hagi has heaped praise on Hamza Igamane's ability to deal with the pressure of being Rangers' first-choice striker after the young forward scored again in a 3-0 win over Aberdeen.

The 22-year-old Moroccan netted the opener against the Dons, taking his tally for the season to 13 goals.

And Hagi believes his attacking team-mate is demonstrating a rare and admirable talent as he continues to thrive at Rangers.

"I don't think there's many players around the world that can cope with this type of pressure," the Romania international said.

"Where you have to perform and win, not only perform. Perform and win every three days, it's tough. So at 22, to be able to do that - you can't really find it around the world that much.

"And those who can cope, obviously they can achieve so much moving forward."

Asked to make comparisons between Igamane and Colombia striker Alfredo Morelos, the former Rangers striker whom Hagi also played with at Ibrox, the midfielder said: "Are they natural goalscorers? Yes, they are.

"Are they different in terms of qualities? Probably, yes. As a striker, when you sign for Rangers, you need to score goals. And at the moment, Hamza's doing that, and we need to keep him fit and work for him.

"Obviously, myself and the other players that play behind him try to create as many opportunities for him as possible.

"And as I said, hopefully he'll stay fit, and he'll definitely score goals."

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Are pitch sizes really the reason behind the stark contrast between Rangers' home and away form?

Former Ibrox defender Maurice Ross has suggested it could be, along with a potential mentality issue in the squad.

In the league this season, Philippe Clement's side boast the best home record in the division, winning 11 and drawing one of their 12 matches, with their most recent success coming in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Aberdeen.

On the road, however, they have won just three out of 11 games, leaving them 13 points adrift of leaders Celtic.

"It's a conundrum," Ross told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio show.

"The only thing I can probably come up with, and I'm being more favourable to Rangers here, are the pitches are a lot tighter away from home unless you're at Celtic Park.

"Teams sit in a low, defensive block and make it difficult for you. I don't know if it's a mentality thing or just home comforts.

"At the minute, Rangers are looking for any positive they can find and last night was certainly very comfortable for them."

We asked for your views on Rangers' 3-0 home win against Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

Stephen: About as straight forward as it gets. Comfortable throughout but would like to have seen more goals. Have to sort out our away form. Rest some players for the weekend and let's go to Old Trafford and get a win!

Tom: Good result but we still make creating chances look like hard work. Game looked like a 1-1 draw until we scored the second. Goalkeeper, full-backs and young centre-back are all very good. Vaclav Cerny surprisingly ineffective but Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi both impress. Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are a good combination.

Elaine: Can we play the top teams every week? Aberdeen never laid a glove on us. What a find Igamane and Clinton Nsiala have been. These boys could save us £10m and make us a fortune. A bit of faith returning in Philippe Clement?

David: Good, decent performance against an Aberdeen side low on confidence, where would we be without Hamza? The wee man's a gem, question is, how long can we keep hold of him?

Brian: Worked hard for their win, with lady luck on their side. It could easily have been four or five going in. There's a player in Nsiala.

Stephen: Much better performance, more hunger and desire to get the job done!

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• Hamza Igamane has contributed to goals in his last four games in the Premiership (5 goals, 1 assist).

• Aberdeen have failed to win in their last 12 games in the Premiership, their equal longest winless streak in the competition.

• Rangers attempted 12 shots on target in this match, higher than their season average of 6.4 in the Premiership.

• Aberdeen have conceded 10 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (15) and Hibernian (14) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

• Rangers have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their 23 games, only Celtic (17) have done this more often in the Premiership this season.

• Aberdeen have failed to score in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer run of games without scoring a goal in the competition was a run of six games from 27 January 2021 to 17 February 2021.

An unnamed European club has agreed a loan deal with Rangers for winger Rabbi Matondo, while Serie A clubs and Championship duo Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday have expressed an interest in the 24-year-old Wales international who is expected to leave Ibrox in January with an option to buy of about £2m after being made available for transfer. (Football Insider), external

La Liga club Leganes have enquired about 30-year-old Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers. (Matte Moretto on X), external

Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian and Rangers are eyeing moves for Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell, with the 26-year-old interested in a return to his homeland after being sent on loan to Charlton Athletic. (Football Insider), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Rangers reduced Celtic's lead in the Scottish Premiership to 13 points as another home victory extended Aberdeen's wretched winless run to 12 matches.

Hamza Igamane, an increasingly talismanic figure, delivered the vital moment once again with a composed finish for the opener and his 13th Rangers goal after a fast start by the hosts.

Substitute Leon Balogun headed in a late back-post second from Clinton Nsiala's deep cross, having earlier hit an upright, and fellow replacement Cyriel Dessers guided in an even later third to seal the win.

Let us know your thoughts on Rangers' performance.

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement: "We had chances, a few good saves from the goalkeeper and we hit the cross bar and post.

"But we kept pushing, as I demand, to score more and kill the belief of the opponent.

"We played really well. We had domination with and without the ball, with everybody working hard for the team.

"You see more and more people start to understand things and we're collectively better.

"[Hamza Igamane] is doing really well and we need to go on with this. He needs to do this all season, it's hard to get to the top but harder to stay there.

"I'm happy with the way Cyriel [Dessers] came in with a lot of energy and scoring a really good goal. That's a plus and also the players coming back from injury."

On Clinton Nsiala: "I'm really pleased about that, we had to be really creative in the last transfer window to find young talents. The recruitment team did a good job to get him on a free transfer.

"And also the staff worked really well, in the second team to give him experience and games. He's making the right steps. Credit to him he's focussed, concentrated and willing to learn."

Clement says he does not know yet the extent of the injuries to Robin Propper and Danilo.

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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It was imperative to narrow that gap to Celtic after they dropped points on Tuesday. Anything else would have been intolerable to the Rangers fans.

Their side started fast and got the reward, but that vital second, then third goal, just wouldn't arrive until very late on.

Rangers' home record continues to impress, though. As does Igamane, whose goal return over the past few months as been an almighty positive.

Home form is not the issue, although they must continue to retain that focus and deliver maximum points at Ibrox. Then address the glaring problem or inconsistency on their travels.

There were small, muted displays of protest in the stands again at the position they are in and the general running of the club and that might remain with some convinced change is required.

Fans also await any news on recruitment but, as chief executive Patrick Stewart outlined, that will be limited to just one or two recruits.

The return of the likes of James Tavernier and Balogun will help, with the potential for further injury issues given Propper and Danilo had to be replaced.

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Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly admitted he is looking to 'go under the radar' as he continues to deputise in goals for the injured Jack Butland.

Scotland cap Kelly joined from Motherwell in the summer and has played the past four games for Philippe Clement's side after number one Butland picked up a leg injury.

"I've done alright, I've done okay," Kelly said of his spell between the sticks. "I don't think I've had a massive influence in terms of the scoreline, positive or negatively. I don't think it'd made any difference, who was in the goals.

"The boys in front of me have done really well for large spells, ultimately there's been the odd lapse. But I think I've done fine, I don't think I've caused any drama.

"That's my role - get in, do your job, allow the boys to try and win the games. I'm looking to go under the radar, do whatever I need to do when called upon."

Rangers haven't lost with Kelly in goals but did drop points in the title race with away draws to Hibernian and Dundee.

"The atmosphere amongst the boys is okay, I am not going to say we are delighted we are not pleased with the position we find ourselves in the league.

"We are content with the victory the other day against St Johnstone, a game that we were looking to win and we managed to do so in a comfortable fashion.

"The more difficult the times get, the stronger you should become as a team. That's always been the case since I've been at this club. Ultimately, we're a few points behind top spot, which is not acceptable and something we're really not happy with.

"But as a collective, we're looking forward to trying to close that gap.

"We are together, absolutely. A lot of good guys, a lot of great players in that changing room as well. It's one game at a time and against Aberdeen we want to show up together."

There has been mounting fan pressure on both staff and players at Ibrox, with one section of fans leaving the win over St Johnstone early in protest.

"We are the atmosphere," Kelly said. "How we play on the pitch kind of dictates the atmosphere that's around, so we need to understand that we've got a massive responsibility to hundreds of thousands of people.

"Ultimately how we perform on the pitch will dictate the noise around the place."

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• Rangers have lost just one of their last 12 home games against Aberdeen in all competitions (W9 D2), a 3-1 reverse in September 2023 under Michael Beale.

• Having won 2-1 in October, Jimmy Thelin could become the first Aberdeen manager to win both of his first two league games against Rangers while in charge of the Dons.

• Aberdeen have been beaten in each of their last three away league outings - after only losing one of their previous 11 on the road prior (W5 D5).

• Rangers have won 16 of their last 18 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games (D2) since a 0-1 defeat to Hamilton Academical in March 2020.

• After their 2-1 win in October, Aberdeen could earn back-to-back league victories over Rangers for the first time since September 1993 - and the first time within a single season since November 1987.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The Rangers board's backing of Philippe Clement at the weekend was not unanimously welcomed by supporters and the caveat issued by new chief executive Patrick Stewart that results must improve means there will be pressure on the Belgian every time his side take to the field - and that includes on Wednesday night against Aberdeen.

Rangers' home form - at least in terms of results - has been close to perfect and as good as Celtic's, so that, allied to Aberdeen's long run without a win, suggests he should be able to navigate this fixture without increased calls for his sacking.

Stewart's media briefing may not have produced the headlines every fan wanted to see, but it should at least have reassured them they now have a man running the club who is capable of creating and implementing a strategy to take Rangers forward.

The results of the independent review he has commissioned will be intriguing, although there may be tough decisions required before its outcome is known in two or three months' time.

His stance that only one or two additions to the squad will be sanctioned this month is understandable with the league title an unrealistic goal, although European ambitions may also be stymied as a result.

That would appear to be the arena in which Clement has the best chance of convincing his critics he can turn Rangers' fortunes around.

If he could guide them directly into the last 16, his stock would rise once more and even if the play-off route is required - still the more likely scenario - it would be a tremendous achievement and one for which Clement and the players would deserve great credit.

A Europa League trip to Old Trafford beckons but before that Aberdeen then Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup must be dealt with. Victory in both those games is surely non-negotiable.

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