Rangers decided to buy Danilo and Cyriel Dessers in the summer when they had the money to pay Luca Langoni’s release fee, according to Mark Hendry.
The Football Scotland editor reported via X on 16 January that the Boca Juniors attacker was subject of a summer approach when Michael Beale was in charge where the club learned he would cost £10million.
The former Light Blues boss instead chose to spend the cash on the two Ibrox strikers, but Langoni is again linked this month.
Hendry wrote: “Rangers did approach Langoni in summer under Michael Beale and could have paid fee but were told release clause was £10million.
“Cash was eventually spent on Cyriel Dessers and Danilo.”
The Gers reportedly made another approach for the 21-year-old at the start of the January transfer window as new boss Philippe Clement again looks to strengthen.
Paid off?
It is impossible to say whether Rangers would have been better off at this stage of the season if they had chosen to splash out on Langoni when they were given the chance originally.
That is a lot of money for the club to spend on any one player, much less a youngster who there is no guarantee will adapt to the SPFL.
On the other hand the winger, who has scored 10 goals in 45 appearances for his club, is good enough to be wanted in the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 already, by Fulham, Sevilla and Nice respectively.
Despite the up and down nature of Dessers’ and Danilo’s time at Ibrox, through a combination of form and injury struggles, alternatives to them would have been required in the summer either way.
Without the two, who have netted 15 goals between them, the striker role would have fallen to Sam Lammers, who scored twice in 31 games before leaving again on loan this month, and Kemar Roofe, who has only appeared in 15 games this term and started just six.
It is surely impossible for Rangers to spend £10m on Langoni this month no matter how much they like him, and they will have to be completely convinced in the summer if they are to consider it, but if interest continues to build the price might be even higher by then.
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