Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin has admitted that Hamza Igamane was unable to come on against St Mirren after informing the manager that he was unfit to play.
Speaking after the game, the Gers boss said: “I turned around to him at 60 minutes and Hamza told me he’s injured. I have to trust him, but we’ll see.”
“The issue is that the window is still open and there are people with one eye out and one eye in We had a bid this week for Hamza that we rejected. There are too many people uncertain and we have to make sure we have people that want to be here. I’m calm about it.”
Igamane was called to come off the bench in the second half, with the Gers 1-0 down to St Mirren, but declined the call, citing injury, and these comments from Martin do not suggest that an injury was the only factor at play.
The “we’ll see” and the talk of rejecting a bid for the striker, as well as players who are “uncertain” about their future seems to suggest that a possible move away from Ibrox may have influenced the decision.
Hopefully, that was not the case, and it was purely an injury concern and only that, but the window is still open for another week and the possibility that Igamane moves on from the club remains a real one.
Why losing Hamza Igamane would be a blow for Rangers
Cashing in on the Morocco international before the end of the summer transfer window would be a blow for the Light Blues because he is an exciting young talent who has the quality to deliver at the top end of the pitch.
The 22-year-old star enjoyed a terrific first season in Glasgow after his move to Ibrox last summer, scoring 16 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, per Transfermarkt.
His output in the Scottish Premiership, in particular, was impressive. The Moroccan star showed that he can be a clinical finisher whilst also providing a creative presence in the centre-forward position, or out wide on the left.
Appearances
33
Starts
23
xG
9.02
Goals
12
Chances created
37
xA
4.85
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, Igamane outperformed his xG by around three goals and was let down by his teammates in front of goal, as they failed to make the most of the high-quality chances that he created for them.
An xA tally of 4.85 suggests that he should have had way more than one assist in the top-flight, and shows that he has the creativity and quality to open up opposition defences fairly regularly.
Losing Igamane would be a big blow, therefore, for Martin because of his quality in the final third, but the Gers are reportedly keen on a star who could allow the club to sanction an exit before the deadline.
Rangers eyeing move for LaLiga forward
According to the Daily Mail, Glasgow Rangers are lining up a move to bring Girona centre-forward Bojan Miovski to Ibrox before the end of the window.
The report claims that the Macedonia international is out of favour at Girona, 12 months on from his transfer from Aberdeen for a fee of £6.8m, and could be on his way out of the Spanish side in the coming days.
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It adds that Martin is a known admirer of the striker, who he wanted to sign during his time at Swansea and Southampton in Wales and England, and would like to snap him up to bolster his attack at Ibrox.
The Daily Mail reveals that the player and Girona would prefer a permanent deal to allow him to leave, but that Rangers cannot afford a permanent move for the star who cost around £7m last year.
It is said that, therefore, a loan deal for Miovski may be the route the Gers look to go down, and that the player could be tempted by the prospect of a return to Scotland.
Why this could be the end for Hamza Igamane at Rangers
Rangers have played with systems that either have one striker or none in all of their competitive matches so far, something which has been a theme for Martin throughout his career.
In their striker ranks, the Gers currently have Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, and Igamane at their disposal. This suggests that they would not be looking to add another centre-forward to the group unless they thought that one of them would move on.
Given what happened against St Mirren, what Martin said, and the interest in his services, Igamane could be the player who waves bye-bye to Ibrox before the window slams shut in order to open up the space for Miovski to join.
Losing the Moroccan sensation, as aforementioned, would be a blow to the Gers when taken in isolation, given what he achieved on the pitch in his first year at the club.
The signing of Miovski, a proven performer in the Premiership, would soften that blow because he could come in and hit the ground running as a huge goalscoring threat for Martin.
xG
15.60
17.08
xG on target
18.36
17.60
Goals
16
16
Shots on target
36
44
Chances created
27
23
Assists
2
2
As you can see in the table above, Miovski was a clinical finisher – taking into account the xG on target versus xG – for Aberdeen on his road to scoring 32 goals in two Premiership seasons.
The left-footed star, who was described as a “complete number 9” by journalist Josh Bunting, only started 12 times in LaLiga for Girona last season, scoring twice, and did not really get a chance to build any rhythm or momentum in his performances.
Miovski is a proven performer in the Premiership, though, and his output for Aberdeen in two of the last three seasons suggests that he has the quality to hit the ground running as a lethal goalscorer for Rangers.
This is why the club’s interest in the Girona outcast may suggest, along with Sunday’s events, that Igamane could be on his way out of Ibrox before the window shuts, and Miovski could be a dream replacement for him.
