Rangers defender 'in contact' over summer move as EPL side emerge as suitors for key Ibrox man
Pair linked with summer moves out of Ibrox.
Rangers’ on-loan defender Max Aarons has emerged as a summer transfer target for two European sides despite his struggles at Ibrox this season.
The 26-year-old right-back joined the club on a season-long loan from AFC Bournemouth under former head coach Russell Martin. However, he has toiled to secure a regular starting spot, starting just eight league games this season.
Heralded as a “fantastic addition” upon his arrival in June, he had hoped to resurrect his stuttering career at Ibrox under Martin, who was a teammate of Aarons during his playing days at Norwich, following an underwhelming loan stint at Valencia. However, he has had little impact in Glasgow.
Aarons has been left out of head coach Danny Rohl’s squad for the last three games, and has not played since a 30-minute appearance in the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on February 4. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that Rangers will seek to sign him permanently this summer.
Despite his struggles at Rangers though, a summer deal the full-back is on the agenda for a trio of clubs, with reports claiming Feyenoord, FC Porto, and Wolverhampton Wanderers have already approached AFC Bournemouth to discuss a potential deal at the end of the current campaign.
The former England youth international still has three years to run on his current deal with the Cherries, but is far down the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium, and another summer move is on the cards. Portuguese giants FC Porto are said to be the most keen on Aarons, with a report from transfer specialist Ekrem Konur claiming head coach Francesco Farioli has a “big” interest in signing him.
Meanwhile, Aarons’ defensive teammate Emmanuel Fernandez is reportedly being tracked by English Premier League outfit West Ham United after a strong debut season at Ibrox. Signed from Peterborough United in the summer for a fee of around £2.5million, the 24-year-old endured a difficult start with Rangers, but has grown into one of the club’s most consistent performers after being thrust into the starting XI by Rohl in November.
Fernandez’s introduction to the pitch coinciding with a vast improvement in Rangers’ defensive performances, Fernandez has also come up trumps in the opposition's box, bagging six goals in all competitions. Now a mainstay in the Rangers backline, the centre-back was linked with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich during the January transfer window.
Fernandez is now also said to have monitored by West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santos, according to journalist Alan Nixon. The Hammers, who are currently in the relegation zone and facing a battle to stay in the English top flight, are keeping a close eye on former Posh defender, with Nixon adding that Rangers would be willing to sell their star defender, but only “at the right price”.
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