Why £5m Rangers target could be their best signing since Hamza Igamane

It’s been a summer of experienced, proven signings at Glasgow Rangers so far this summer, but there is a balance to be had even in the pursuit of immediate, short-term success.

The current plan, which has seen the likes of Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie move to Ibrox, is no doubt an astute one, with this a squad crying out for seniority and leadership after a drab end to 2025/26.

And yet, the Gers can’t ignore the gains that can be made when bringing in potential stars of the future, with the club likely to rake in a sizeable profit for the likes of Emmanuel Fernandez and Youssef Chermiti, the latter of whom is the subject of interest from Lyon.

The pair could join Hamza Igamane in enjoying just a solitary season stay in Glasgow, the Moroccan having been a real modern success story after signing for just £1.7m, before departing for Lille on a £10.4m deal last summer.

That is certainly the type of business that the Light Blues need to see more of, with there hopefully set to be similar moves on the horizon for the Old Firm side.

Rangers could see £5m bid accepted to sign 20-year-old sensation

It’s only a week into July, and yet Derek McInnes’ squad has already been bolstered by five new signings, the Gers not hanging around when it comes to assembling a potentially title-winning squad at Ibrox.

The next dream addition would no doubt be that of Lewis Ferguson, although it remains to be seen whether the Scotland star is actually an attainable target, even with Bologna said to be interested in Nicolas Raskin.

Ferguson or not, a new midfielder is set to be a priority amid the expected exit of Raskin, the Belgian firmly putting himself in the shop window amid his sparkling World Cup form.

One man who could well represent a perfect replacement is Partizan Belgrade captain, Vanja Dragojevic, with Football Insider reporting that Rangers remain in ‘ongoing talks’ to sign the 20-year-old.

The suggestion is that the Premiership side are working to sign the young midfielder this summer and are showing a ‘big interest’, with the two parties continuing negotiations as things stand.

A bid of around £3.9m from the Ibrox side has already been rejected, although the Serbian outfit are likely to accept an offer that matches their £5m valuation.

Why Dragojevic could be Rangers’ best signing since Igamane

Recruitment last summer wasn’t exactly the most fruitful for Rangers, with even Chermiti’s 15-goal haul not looking quite as stellar considering his £8m price tag.

For Fernandez too, he was part of a defence that shipped two goals in each of the last seven league games of the season, with the Gers conceding more goals than any other member of the top four.

There is, of course, young Mikey Moore, yet the 18-year-old was only signed on a loan basis, with a return to the club not a certainty this summer amid rival interest from Borussia Dortmund.

Moore’s heroics didn’t necessarily reach the heights of Igamane either, the latter man arriving as a relative unknown before swiftly securing talismanic status in Glasgow, notching 16 goals in just 49 games for the club in total.

Igamane, even when considering his stay was so brief, remains the benchmark when it comes to young, high-potential signings, with Dragojevic hopefully in a similar ballpark.

Still only 20, the fact that he is the captain of Partizan already speaks to just what a talent he is, having also been capped twice by Serbia at senior international level.

A towering, elegant defensive midfielder, there is so much to like about what the £5m-rated star brings to the table, not least his tally of seven goals and assists in 35 league games last season.

That’s a fine return for a man typically deployed in a number six role in front of the back four, while he’s also impressed in a defensive sense, hailed by U23 scout and analyst Antonio Mango as a “tenacious & physically strong ball-winner”, a player who “does a tremendous job screening defence & breaking up play”.

That was notably seen in the 2024/25 campaign, as Dragojevic averaged a stellar 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game in the Serbian top-flight, while also averaging 6.6 ball recoveries per game.

For context, the aforementioned Raskin ended last season with an average of 3.1 tackles and interceptions won per game, while having made just 4.5 ball recoveries.

In truth, Dragojevic appears to be the perfect blend of what Rangers are looking for, representing another Igamane-style youngster who could be sold on for significant profit, yet also a leader who can immediately influence the first-team ranks.

He’s an elite ball-winner, ball-carrier and a midfielder with an eye for goal, a true powerhouse presence to potentially partner Dan Neil at the heart of McInnes’ side.

While the Partizan starlet, like Igamane before him, might not be a household name as yet, he could soon become one at Ibrox.