One point adrift of leaders Celtic with a game in hand, Rangers are set for a fiery end to the Scottish Premiership season. And as the final Old Firm derby of the season nears, Gers chiefs have reportedly turned their attention towards turning one particular loan deal permanent this summer.
Rangers transfer news
It's been quite the turnaround from Rangers, who instantly galvanised under Philippe Clement before scaling what looked an impossible climb back into the title race and now in control of the Scottish Premiership's outcome. January certainly helped the former AS Monaco boss too, with Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande and Fabio Silva all arriving on loan. Diomande in particular has had some impressive moments, including his goal against St Johnstone.
The midfielder is set to join on a permanent basis this summer due to Rangers' obligation to buy in his initial loan deal. He's not the only loanee who may be around next season, either, with reports indicating that the Gers want to also turn Silva's loan deal permanent this summer.
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Rangers are set to make contact with Wolverhampton Wanderers over securing a permanent deal for Silva in the coming months.
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Any deal will reportedly have to be for a cut-price, however, given that the Scottish giants will not be able to sanction a big-money deal this summer even with Champions League qualification. What's more, Silva's reported salary of £80k per week is already a hefty fee in itself, only adding to the cost of the potential transfer.
Still just 21-years-old, it would be quite the piece of business from Rangers if they managed to secure a relatively cheap deal to sign Silva this summer. The young forward has certainly shown signs that he's getting closer to his best form too, perhaps making a move to Ibrox ideal for all parties involved.
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With four goals to his name in 15 appearances, with nine of those being starts, Silva has shown plenty of signs that he's on course to take a huge step towards his potential under Clement to earn a permanent deal. It remains to be seen whether the Gers can agree the right price with Wolves, of course, but it's certainly one worth pursuing.
In what will be Clement's first full season in charge, those at Ibrox may have the opportunity to be defending their Scottish crown if all goes well in the remainder of the season. And they'll want as much of the current, potentially successful squad available to do that, including Silva, who earned plenty of praise during his Wolves days.
The club's executive chairman, Jeff Shi, told the official Wolves website when Silva first joined: "Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class."