Rangers are interested in signing Bayern Munich’s Yusuf Kabadayi in what is a confirmed link from respected German-based Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
The £1M winger, a Germany U20 international, is one of Germany’s many rising talents, and spent last season on loan at Bundesliga 2 side Schalke, with 24 appearances and 4 goals, no assists.
The right-footed left winger, who played for Turkey’s youth team back in 2018-2019, is an experienced youth international for Germany’s kids, amassing 18 caps at all age levels.
At the moment, he’s not quite ready to break into Bayern’s senior team – in truth, if he hasn’t cracked it at 20, like fellow former Bayern kid Malik Tillman, he probably won’t manage to do it, and Kabadayi will seek a new club next summer to properly get the minutes in a senior team.
Rangers are confirmed as monitoring him, with the main current rivals being modest Italian Serie A side Lecce and St Pauli of Switzerland.
Rangers currently have just Oscar Cortes as the main left wing option, with all alternatives not convincing. He is Philippe Clement’s player, but of course wingers can adapt to either side.
This may also be a sign that interest in Adama Traore, Ferencvaros’ right winger and previous Rangers target could possibly have weaned a tad, given Kabadayi’s right-footedness.
Kabadayi’s contract at the Allianz Arena expires next summer and he isn’t thought to be costing Rangers a fortune should a deal be struck – his understood current value is £1M and that would be roughly the number the club would fork out on a permanent capture.
But of course, if a deal can be done for a loan with obligation/option, the club may prefer that.
Kabadayi has no minutes in any senior top flight, so he might be something of a risk, not unlike Reuell Walters of Arsenal.
Do Rangers need better than a bunch of untested kids?
Ask Mark Warburton, who did little but sign a bunch of Arsenal and Spurs rejects and see how that went in the top flight.
We do want young promising talent, of course, but not at the expense of assured experienced quality as well.
See how it goes…