Rangers already have their own Luke Graham & he's a "left-footed Van Dijk" - Techie News Guru

If this season doesn’t end in Premiership glory for Glasgow Rangers, it would be unfair to lay any of the blame at Danny Rohl’s door.

Indeed, prior to the German taking charge, the Gers were languishing in eighth and 11 points behind the league leaders, with Russell Martin facing the axe after just 17 games in charge in all competitions.

At a club where second is last, the depths Martin had plummeted to were simply unforgivable, with Rohl having since steadied the ship and then some, winning 14 of his 19 league games at the helm, losing just once.

There have been low moments, not least last week’s draw away at Motherwell, yet having traded one young manager for another, the Light Blues are now reaping the rewards.

As such, regardless of where this season ends up, the Ibrox side can now plan for the future under the 36-year-old, with Dundee’s Luke Graham among those who could join the party this summer.

Latest on Rangers’ interest in Luke Graham

In a relatively quiet week for Rangers, following Sunday’s thriller with Hearts, a notable talking point has been the extension of John Souttar’s contract, with the Scotsman signing a new one-year deal, with the option of an extension.

With Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius both set to return to their parent clubs at the end of the season, keeping Souttar onboard is a wise choice, not least considering the lack of real depth in the centre-back ranks.

That said, if the Gers truly want to push on, then an exciting signing like that of Graham could be in order, with reports this week indicating that the Ibrox side are ready to ramp up their interest in the 22-year-old defender.

The suggestion is that the young Scot – who was the subject of a £1m bid from Portsmouth last month – is also courting attention from Celtic, having enjoyed a real rise over the last 12 months or so.

It is not made clear what type of fee it would take to prise Graham from Dens Park, although his current side are unlikely to cash in on the cheap, with manager Steven Pressley having talked up the youngster’s talent repeatedly of late.

Likened to Everton’s £70m sensation, Jarrad Branthwaite, by Pressley, there is a sense that Graham could also be destined for the Premier League, ensuring Rangers won’t have it easy if they are to fight for his signature this summer.

Should a rival suitor poach the left-footer, the Glasgow giants could look internally to find a potential solution in that case.

Rangers may already have their answer to Luke Graham

Rohl has settled on a partnership of Souttar and Emmanuel Fernandez in recent weeks, with the latter man already courting attention from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea by all accounts, as revealed this week.

£10m-rated Rangers “colossus” could be this season’s Igamane at Ibrox

Rangers could be set for an Igamane repeat at Ibrox this summer.

Ideally, Rangers will keep the 24-year-old onboard for a little while yet, keeping him as a mainstay in the backline alongside a natural left-footer, such as Graham.

As stated above, however, the Dundee sensation won’t be an easy get, ensuring Rohl and co could take another look at Clinton Nsiala, provided Westerlo don’t take up the option to sign him permanently this summer.

The ex-AC Milan man has been shipped out on loan to Belgium after a difficult 18 months in Scottish football, having made just 17 appearances in all competitions to date, while starting just once so far this season.

Chances have been few and far between, and he hasn’t exactly taken them, it’s fair to say, memorably at fault for both goals in the defeat to St Mirren a year ago, a result that proved costly for then-boss Philippe Clement.

That being said, at just 22, it would be foolish to write him off just yet, with Graham having had his own battle to secure regular game time at Dundee, following a string of loans in Scotland’s lower leagues in recent years.

Like Graham, the Frenchman is a powerful, young, left-footed centre-back and one of real potential at that, with ex-teammate Ross McCausland describing him as like a “left-footed [Virgil] Van Dyke” last season.

Nsiala – 24/25 Premiership stats
Stat (*per game)	Record
Games	11
Starts	10
Pass accuracy*	89%
Clean sheets	1
Tackles*	0.5
Interceptions*	0.5
Dribbled past*	0.6
Total duels won*	48%
Aerial duels won*	52%
Possession lost*	7.5

Speaking back in 2024, Marco Negri notably talked up Rangers’ new arrival from Italy, albeit while suggesting it would take time for him to truly settle in Scottish football:

“As a defender, Clinton is very aggressive. He’s strong in the one-v-one situations. He’s not very tall but he is good in the air. There are nice attributes”.

Boasting similar traits and strengths to Graham, Nisala did showcase his physical prowess on debut for Westerlo last week, winning eight of his 12 total duels, alongside completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

Operating at left-back, the youngster did record a miserable 29% pass accuracy rate, yet played the full 90 in the 2-0 win away at Royal Antwerp, marking an encouraging start to his time in the Pro League.

As was seen last week and in his time back at Ibrox, Nsiala is certainly far from the finished article, although perhaps he could benefit from a loan and return to Rangers ready to go next season.