'He'll probably transfer': Rangers boost as agent talks up £4m deal, rules out Saudi switch for 10-goal star
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While Russia and Saudi Arabia are off the table for this £4 million midfielder, Rangers cannot be discounted from the discussions just yet.
At least, that is the suggestion put forward by an agent very much in the know as far as Darius Olaru’s future is concerned.
Not for the first time and probably not for the last, Rangers were linked with Romania ace Olaru this month. And while sources have told RangersNews that there have been few developments as things stand, a £4 million release clause certainly makes the FCSB talisman far more attainable than other playmakers of similar quality.
£4 million, after all, feels like a bonafide bargain for a footballer who contributed 21 goals and assists from midfield last term, inspiring FCSB to their first league title since 2015. Olaru has been likened to Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne for good reason.
And with Tom Lawrence’s injury issues raising it’s ugly head once again, there is certainly room in the Ibrox inn for a technical, two-footed attacking midfielder capable of both creating and putting away chances from the number ten role.
Agent thinks Rangers linked Darius Olaru should leave in 2025
Ioan Becali, one of the most connected figures in Romanian football, accepts that Olaru isn’t quite the type to slap in a transfer request and jump ship at the first hint of an offer.
But, with his 27th birthday approaching, the agent knows that 2025 may be Olaru’s last chance to make a name for himself outside of his home country.
“Olaru is not a player to think about transfers. I once told Olaru about [a potential] transfer and he said ‘I feel good here’,” Becali tells Sport RO. “He’s not a player desperate to leave.
“But, when a team pays the five million euros the club wants, from a country he wants too, he will probably transfer. But that has to be in summer. If he reaches 27-28 years old, it becomes more difficult.
“But anyway, he is a player who is not desperate to leave like others were and are.”
Becali insists that Olaru will not leave the club formerly known as Steaua Bucharest for a money-spinning switch to Russia or Saudi Arabia.
He uses the example of Florin Tanase. The FCSB forward who returned to Romania with his tail between his legs after an ill-fated spell in the Middle East with Al-Jazira and Al-Okhdood.
“In Arabia, look at the problems [you could have]. Tanase left, didn’t play, and came back,” Becali points out.
“In Saudi Arabia, the top four or five are European-level teams in terms of salary payment and compliance. The rest [bring] lawsuits, CAS [involvement]. That’s why I say, it’s better to wait, it’s better to play here.”
- READ MORE:Rangers Transfer History 2016-Present
Philippe Clement speaks out on potential January transfers at Rangers
John Gilligan, when acting as interim chairman back in September, told Sky Sports that Philippe Clement would have money to spend in the January transfer window.
Rangers’ focus may shift to replacing Neraysho Kasanwirjo however. The versatile defender suffered a serious knee injury while representing the Netherlands Under 21 side this month. An injury which will require surgery to fix, and may force Rangers into the market for another footballer capable of playing all across the backline.
“At the moment, we are in contact with Feyenoord,” Clement said during his press conference on Friday. “But it is certainly an injury for the long term.
“Now, they are going to look at what exactly is wrong and we will discuss with Feyenoord where he should be treated and how we are going to approach the rehabilitation. We are in discussions about that.
“We’re going to have, in the next couple of weeks, a really good meeting with everybody involved in that way in the club, to make clear decisions around [potential January transfers].
“First, we need to see what the budget is in that way. If I don’t know the budget, I cannot say anything about that. So, let’s speak about that in a few weeks.”
