Rangers have had a breakthrough in the transfer market, according to reports.
Russell Martin Nears First Rangers Signing as Max Aarons Deal Reaches Verbal Agreement — Second Transfer Could Follow
Rangers manager Russell Martin appears close to securing his first signing of the summer, with reports suggesting a verbal agreement has been reached with AFC Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons. According to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, the 25-year-old defender is set to join the Glasgow club on a season-long loan, with the deal said to be nearly complete.
Aarons, a former England youth international and European Under-21 Championship winner, made a name for himself at Norwich City. He helped the Canaries to two Championship titles and was crowned the EFL’s Young Player of the Year in 2019 during their first promotion-winning campaign.
The full-back made a £7 million switch to Bournemouth in August 2023 but has struggled to cement a place in the Premier League side’s starting lineup, making just three league appearances under manager Andoni Iraola. In January, he was sent on loan to Spanish side Valencia with an option to buy, but after featuring in only four matches, the La Liga club decided against making the move permanent.
With Aarons now available, Rangers have moved quickly to take advantage of the situation, and the defender is expected to complete his switch to Ibrox shortly.
In addition to Aarons, Rangers are reportedly confident of landing another target soon — Kwame Poku. The 23-year-old winger, who recently left Peterborough United as a free agent, is said to be on the verge of signing despite strong interest from newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland, Birmingham City, and clubs across Europe.
Currently a free agent after his deal at Weston Homes Stadium came to an end, a report from the Peterborough Telegraph claims the Light Blues believe they are in pole position for his signature, despite late interest from Ipswich Town and the Turkish Super Lig.
While the player is out-of-contract, the Posh will still be due a compensation fee after Poku signed for the club from Cambridge United before the age of 21. However, Rangers would likely pay significantly less than English clubs due to cross border rules – similar to the deal that brought Joe Aribo to Ibrox from Charlton Athletic in 2019 – meaning the deal is an attractive one for the club.
Should both deals get over the line, it will be a huge boost for new Rangers boss Martin, after it was claimed he had failed in his bid to sign Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling, with reports this morning claiming Norwich were ‘confident’ of signing the centre-back.
