Glasgow Rangers have already signed four players this summer, however, Michael Beale is desperate to add another attacking option to his Ibrox armoury ahead of next season.
A move for Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers has stalled in regard to a potential fee for the striker, however, the Glaswegian side have a backup list, with Brazilian forward Danilo included and he could be an interesting option for the club.
Another option which Beale could pursue is that of Josh Maja, who has been linked with a move to the Light Blues of late and with competition coming from Anderlecht and Real Valladolid, they will need to act swiftly to get a deal over the line.
Indeed, the Gers have received a boost with regard to a potential move as according to All Nigeria Soccer, Maja is ‘unlikely to sign an extension’ to his Bordeaux contract, meaning he will be available for nothing in the coming weeks.
Should Rangers sign Josh Maja this summer?
Although the likes of Dessers and Danilo appear to be Beale’s preferred targets, Maja could certainly be a wildcard option and having scored 17 goals last term, he knows where the goal is.
The 42-year-old could form a menacing duo with him and attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who looks set to play a big part next term having missed all of 2022 having suffered a serious knee injury last January.
The Romanian showed Scottish football just how highly regarded he was during the 2020/21 campaign as he was integral to Rangers claiming their 55th league title. The 24-year-old showcased his creative talents by registering 11 assists in only 23 starts, and he created six big chances along with playing one key pass per game.
These statistics were enough to rank him first, fifth and fifth across these metrics, underlining how important he was and indicating that his creative ability was among the finest in the squad.
Maja could benefit from this as he clearly thrives in the penalty box, scoring 16 goals in Ligue 2 last season and by averaging 32.9 touches per game, he tends to get involved regularly according to his seasonal heatmap via Sofascore, dropping deep and linking up with the midfielders.
This could suggest Hagi and Maja have the potential to make an effective duo for Beale next season and the 5 foot 11 gem was even lauded by Jermain Defoe, his former teammate at Sunderland, who said: “Josh is a quick thinker and if you’re that fast upstairs, you don’t need anything else.”
It could be a gamble worth taking by the Gers and if it works out, Hagi could well become one of the meanest creative forces in the division. Indeed, just imagine what a prolific forward such as Maja could do for his numbers; the Romanian could well be unplayable before too long.