After covering the recent story about Nasser Djiga and his agent Sebastian Arnesen in Marbella with the rest of the Rangers squad for the split break, Ibrox Noise sources have revealed some enlightening information regarding the situation. We have learned recently, as a result of this information, that there may actually be a chance that Rangers and Wolves will be able to come to an understanding about Djiga.
Manager’s View And Defensive Stability
Manager Danny Rohl rates Djiga as he does Fernandez. Those two have stuck with Rangers’ main defence for many weeks now, with John Souttar only playing a bit-part role these days. Djiga has gone from maligned and disregarded by Rangers fans as a complete failure and ‘the worst defender I’ve ever seen FFS’, to thoroughly rated and now credibly appreciated by fans who can see what he brings.
Ibrox Noise explained before the nuances of why it wasn’t working out originally for Djiga at Ibrox, but thankfully circumstances have now been much kinder to him and he is able to show what he can do.
Transfer Talks In Marbella
And Rangers do want him. They want him, but not at the price that Wolves are asking. The reason that Arnesen was in Marbella was to discuss with Djiga his interest and what he wants to do next, properly face-to-face, and of course a chance for his agent to get some very pleasant sun out there.
The board members of Rangers were also reportedly in attendance at this event, which showed how seriously it was being taken. But nevertheless, Arnesen was there to discuss with Djiga what he wanted to do.
Player Preference And Progress
Djiga’s preference is to remain at Rangers. He is enjoying life at the club and wants to stay as part of Rohl’s build forward. He is an extremely talented defender and Rangers fans are seeing that at long last. With him getting a strong run in the team it’s blooming.
The Price Problem
However, the price is the sticking point. Wolves have been asking for around £9M depending on the source. Rangers do not want to pay that amount because that level of investment requires a guaranteed return.
We only have to look at how John Souttar’s deterioration in form kicked in after he signed a new contract. Although he hadn’t had the best season as it was he deteriorated as soon as he got his new deal. We have never seen Souttar as bad as he currently is.
Contract Risks And Concerns
And making a permanent signing or making an extension can unfortunately cause complacency in a player where they feel settled, comfortable and suddenly stop trying quite as hard as they did. Rangers do not want to see that happening with the Burkina Faso man.
Consequently, the £9M seems to be too high. If Wolves do get relegated, they will be shipping a fire sale of players. It’s a big question mark over the price and if Rangers and Wolves can agree to that, there’s a chance.
Wages And Final Decision
Of course, there is another sticking point and that is the wages. Currently, Wolves are funding a portion of Djiga’s wages which are said to be around £70,000 to £80,000 per week. Rangers will not pay that level for his services.
He would have to take a significant wage cut. This depends on how much he wants first-team football as to whether he’ll agree to such a thing. Consequently, time will tell if Djiga is willing to take that wage cut and if Wolves are willing to take a lesser fee, but his pure emotional desire is to stay at Rangers permanently.