Transfer window: Rangers could fill Joe Aribo’s void with Ahmed Kendouci’s signing
New Glasgow Rangers boss, Michael Beale, appears to be already plotting moves to strengthen his charges at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window, with recent reports having claimed that the Ibrox outfit are keen on a move for Algerian sensation, Ahmed Kendouci.
According to Football Scotland’s Mark McDougall, the Old Firm outfit have “made contact” regarding a swoop for the ES Setif midfielder, with the Light Blues believed to be eyeing a loan deal for the 23-year-old next month.
While the Glasgow giants are expected to face competition for the player’s signature, there is believed to be confidence that a deal can be struck to bring the playmaker to Scotland, even if his current side would prefer a permanent move.
The fleet-footed gem has seemingly been a long-term target for the club – and rivals Celtic – having been touted as a possible option earlier this year, with the “complete midfielder“, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, having caught the eye with his form in his homeland of late.
The “elegant” ace – as also dubbed by Kulig – has provided 41 goal involvements in 107 games for his current side to date, having proven a truly creative asset in his attacking midfield role and as a makeshift left-back.
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A player with a “left foot made of gold“, as per Kulig, the 5 foot 11 dynamo could well help to fill the void of former Gers star Joe Aribo in the current side, with the Nigeria international having left a sizeable hole following his £10m exit to Premier League side Southampton.
That is the verdict of pundit Frank McAvennie, who suggested that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s “biggest problem” was failing to secure a replacement for the 26-year-old, with the former Charlton Athletic man having been one of the club’s “best players”.
That quality was illustrated last term as Aribo ended the campaign with an impressive haul of nine goals and ten assists form his advanced midfield role, notably scoring in the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The “dynamic” gem – as described by Van Bronckhorst – had racked up a total tally of 51 goals and assists in 148 games following his arrival in 2019, memorably playing a pivotal role in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, after recording ten goal involvements in the top-flight.
The left-footed menace has proven a hard act to follow since then, although the addition of another creative spark such as Kendouci could well prove the answer for Beale in 2023.