'Excellent' star's Rangers transfer return pleas fall on deaf ears as new club unveil him with an Ibrox twist
There were pleas for a Rangers transfer return but he’s gone down an alternate route.
A former Rangers star has made a return to UK football - just weeks after Ibrox return pleas were made.
Nikola Katic left Rangers in 2022 for FC Zurich in Switzerland but talk of a return to the Light Blues had emerged this month amid defensive injury concerns at Ibrox. The Daily Record claim that Katic was keen on a second stint at Rangers, where he spent four years, but former player turned agent Craig Moore admits the club said no.
Moore told Go Radio this month: "I try to be as honest and transparent as I possibly can. Katic is a player I presented to Rangers at the start of the window. Katic was a fans' favourite, who done well at the club until he picked up his ACL injury.
"He then went to chase football elsewhere, I think originally in Croatia, and has continued to grow at Zurich like you say. Big, solid defender but there was no interest so I imagine at this stage there is still no interest otherwise I'd have had a call, which I haven't.
"28, 6 foot 4 and loves to attack the ball. It is important in terms of both boxes with set pieces for and against and how important they are. It doesn't look as if the situation was going to go any further because I got a very swift 'not for us'. “
That left him looking for an alternate club and he’s found one in English Championship side Plymouth, who unveiled with an Ibrox twist, using imagery of his time at Rangers rather than Zurich in the main. Boss Miron Muslic said in the unveiling article, having signed defender Maksym Talovierov on the same day: “Nikola joins us with excellent pedigree having represented his country and played European football.
“He will add further height and defensive strength to our options but most of all showed a real desire to be a part of Argyle for the rest of the season.
“I have said before that I want players in the squad who want to be here, and Nikola showed exactly that. I’m really happy he has joined us and want to welcome him to Argyle.”
Argyle Head of Recruitment Jimmy Dickinson added: “We have assessed options that fit the way Miron wants to play, and we are really pleased to bring Nikola in.
“He is an excellent defender and will bring height and physicality to our defensive options. Having added Maksym and Nikola today, we have added two defenders with international pedigree, and both will bolster the squad significantly as we head into the rest of the season.”