Rangers Opinion: Gers should prioritise the signing of Edson Mexer on a free transfer
According to the Daily Record, Rangers are interested in signing Rennes defender Edson Mexer on a free transfer in the summer, with manager Steven Gerrard reportedly looking to add at least another centre-back to his ranks.
The Daily Record understands that Gerrard made a trip to Brittany on Thursday to negotiate terms with the 30-year-old Mozambique international.
The same source claims that Rennes’ Ligue 1 rivals Nantes and Bordeaux are also keen on securing the services of the experienced centre-back, though Gerrard is confident that his personal dealings with the player will help Rangers seal the deal at the end of the season.
Although Rangers have fallen short of arch-rivals Celtic in their challenge for the Scottish Premiership crown this season, Gerrard is looking to build a squad for the future which will allow the Glasgow giants to mount a stronger challenge in the years to come.
The Gers have already struck deals for veteran midfielder Steven Davies, Motherwell winger Jake Hastie, Kilamarnock’s Jordan Jones and Finland international Glen Kamara, though Lassana Coulibaly is expected to return to Angers at the end of the season upon the expiry of his loan spell at Ibrox.
To put things into perspective, reinforcements at centre-back should be high on the manager’s wishlist heading into the upcoming season. Joe Worrall has been an absolute rock at the back for the Gers this season but he will be expected to return to parent club Nottingham Forest at the end of the season.
39-year-old Gareth McAuley has played a bit part role in the first-team this season but he is likely to hang up his boots sooner or later. Worrall’s departure would leave Gerrard short of adequate cover at centre-back next season, with Croatian starlet Nikola Katic being the only other viable option at the heart of the defence.
In all honesty, Rangers’ links with Edson Mexer comes as little surprise to the fans at Ibrox, as Gerrard looks to build a squad capable of challenging for the Scottish Premiership title. Mexer, who rose to prominence in his homeland with Desportivo Maputo, made his move to Europe with Sporting CP and went on to play for Portuguese club Nacional before joining Rennes back in 2014.
The 44-cap Mozambique international has been a regular at the back for the Ligue 1 outfit over the course of the last five seasons, making a total of 141 appearances and scoring on 8 occasions.
Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a burly frame, Mexer excels with his physicality and aerial ability as a centre-back, often using his strong build to keep the opposition at bay. A calm and composed defender who is known for his good game-reading ability, Mexer rarely commits himself into making dangerous challenges and believes in staying on his feet on intercept.
The 30-year-old is also noted for his ball-playing abilities, averaging 43.3 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 88.7, including 2.6 long balls per game in the Ligue 1 this term. Furthermore, he averages 4.2 clearances and 2 aerial duels per game, figures which clearly show that he is a defender with good well-rounded attributes.
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Rangers should relish having an experienced head like Mexer at the back next season and his presence is likely to bring the best out of youngsters like Nikola Katic and Borna Barisic. The veteran still has plenty to offer at the highest level and it is a no-brainer that he would be a massive coup for the Gers if they do manage to lure him to Ibrox with a lucrative deal in the summer.
