Rangers-linked Ligue 1 international yet to sign new contract; Gers could approach in January
10/20/2024 02:30 PM
Rangers are expected to be busy in the January transfer window as Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen look to add value to a new-look Ibrox squad.
Rangers chairman John Gilligan has already given his backing to Clement & co heading into the winter window with the next few months likely to see a string of names linked to Ibrox.
As Rangers look to add player trading value to their squad, the mandate is about signing young talents with high resale potential who can win big in Glasgow.
And there's one such Ibrox-linked name in Oussama Targhalline who fits the Rangers transfer profile and who is yet to sign a new contract at his current club.
Oussama Targhalline yet to sign Le Havre deal
Rangers fans might remember those links to Moroccan midfielder Oussama Targhalline towards the end of the summer transfer window.
The Gers were said to be monitoring Targhalline's situation with current club Le Havre determined to sign the 22-year-old down on a new contract.
The links originate in French publication L'Equipe and with the turn of the year on the horizon, they might well be revisited in the weeks and months ahead.
That's because Oussama Targhalline is yet to sign a new contract with Le Havre, meaning Rangers could be free to discuss terms with the midfielder in January.
The young Moroccan came through at Marseille and has been with Le Havre since 2023, signing a two-year deal at the Ligue 1 side.
There have also been links to unnamed Italian and French clubs with plenty monitoring the situation surrounding Oussama Targhalline's contract.
Whilst it remains unclear if the midfielder has the option of another year in his deal, if such a clause exists it is yet to be activated by the French side.
Midfielder fits Rangers transfer model
Rangers will be hoping the progress of Oussama Targhalline goes a little under the radar this season if they're serious about trying to sign the midfielder.
The midfielder has been heavily involved with Le Havre in the middle of the pitch so far this campaign, playing in all but two of the struggling side's Ligue 1 matches.
Targhalline has also made his debut for the Moroccan national team this year after a successful stint at the Olympics with the nation's U23s in Paris this summer.
Playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-0 AFCON qualifying win over Lesotho in September, Targhalline was an unused substitute for Morocco in the recent international double-header against the Central African Republic.
Rangers have explored the North African market already under Nils Koppen's recruitment stewardship.
Signing Hamza Igamane in a £1.7m deal from FAR Rabat in the summer, Rangers might well see added value in bringing another young Moroccan into the squad.
Given the source of the links to Oussama Targhalline earlier in the year and the fact the midfielder could be available on a cut-price free, or even on a free in the summer, the situation is one to watch this winter.
Rangers also boosted their recruitment team by adding French talent spotter Ludovic Lemor to their ranks over the summer, so it is a region the club are actively scouting.
