Conor Coady to Rangers hits major stumbling block as new Leicester City boss makes feelings clear
England international is pushing for Ibrox transfer in time for Panathinaikos UCL tie
Rangers have been dropped a major hint that their pursuit to sign defender Conor Coady could be delayed further.
The 10-capped England international has been a prime target for new Ibrox boss Russell Martin all summer and it’s claimed the Light Blues are keen to make the transfer happen in time for Tuesday’s Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos.
However, that now appears unlikely after new Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes declared he “liked what he saw” from Coady in their 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Hungarian side Zalaegerzegi on Saturday.
Martin has already named his 25-man squad for the first leg against the Greeks, although there remains some wiggle room to register two new additions up until 24 hours ahead of kick-off.
Rangers sent clear Conor Coady transfer message
But, it seems as though Cifuentes will take his time to have a closer look at Coady in action before making a decision on his future, spelling bad news for Gers fans.
Speaking after the friendly from their training camp in Austria, Cifuentes said: “There are a lot of positive things we can bring with us. There are a lot of things to improve, which is normal at this stage.
“I like the intention, the attitude, and the application of the team. I like that we wanted to be from day one, a team that is dominant and wants to use possession to attack. The timing of the movement and the rotations, everything will come.
“I like, as well, the application of the experienced players. I liked what I saw from Conor, from Jannik. It’s an interesting mix.”
Defender pushing for Ibrox move in time for UCL tie
It was revealed earlier this week by the Daily Record that Coady has hoped to be granted the go-ahead to travel to Glasgow to conclude a move to Rangers rather than board Leicester’s charter flight for their ten-day summer tour in Austria.
The 32-year-old remains under contract and has not yet been given permission to leave the Foxes, despite club officials already earmarking a potential replacement for Coady should be head north of the border.
If Rangers fail to land their man before next week’s UEFA deadline, he would also be unable to play in the second leg against Panathinaikos in Athens as Martin attempts to guide his new club into the knockout round.