Fabrizio Romano claims Rangers transfer bid 'rejected' for Brazilian star dubbed the 'next Marquinhos'

Rangers have had an offer for highly-rated centre back Kaiky Fernandes booted out by a Spanish club, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Philippe Clement is attempting to add further reinforcements to his backline as well as attacking options to his new-look squad ahead of next week’s transfer deadline. The Belgian has already recruited two new central defenders in the shape of Clinton Nsiala from AC Milan and former FC Twente skipper Robin Propper this summer to compete with the likes of John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Ben Davies and Leon King for a starting berth.

And it’s now been confirmed that the Light Blues submitted an ambitious formal bid to Spanish Segunda Division outfit Almeria for a loan fee of €750,000 (£635k), with an option to buy for €7million (£6m) and a 30 per cent sell-on clause. That approach for the 20-year-old has been knocked back and it remains unclear whether the Ibrox side will return with an improved proposal.

Romano tweeted on X: “Understand Almeria turned down formal bid from Rangers for Brazilian 20 year old centre back Kaiky. Proposal worth €750k loan plus €7m and 30% sell-on clause has been rejected this week.”

The Brazilian defender has spent two years with the Andalusian side after they splashed out roughly €8m to bring him to Europe from Alfredo Morelos’ former club Santos. He made 13 La Liga appearances and spent the second half of last season out on loan with Albacete in the second tier, where his parent club now play after suffering top-flight relegation.

Capped at Under-20s level for Brazil, Kaiky stands out at 6ft 1in and has been labelled the 'next Marquinhos' due to his similar playing style to the PSG star. He has already captured the attention of a raft of top European clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea after breaking through as a teenager in his homeland and racking up over 50 senior games.

Similarly to his fellow countryman, the youngster will hope to make his mark on the continent. Reacting to comparisons with the 89-cap international, Kaiky stated back in 2021: “The player who inspires me the most on the field, and who has the same profile as me, is Marquinhos. A lot of people compare my playing style with him, and for that I’m very honoured.”

Rangers are hamstrung financially at present, but there appears to be a growing confidence that funds will be incoming in the next seven days, with Todd Cantwell, Ianis Hagi and Rabbi Matondo headlining a list of players available for transfer. Academy graduates Alex Lowry and Adam Devine have also been told they are free to find new clubs.