Rangers ‘agree fee’ for PAOK striker Antonio Colak but Ibrox club face potential ‘block’ on £2million transfer target

Rangers have agreed a fee of around £1.8million with PAOK for striker Antonio Colak, according to reports.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is looking to bolster his attacking options this summer ahead of the new Scottish Premiership campaign and the Croatian international has been top of his list of signing targets.

The 28-year-old, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Malmo, scored twice during a Champions League qualifier as the Swedish outfit knocked Rangers out of the competition last summer.

German-born Colak, who has been capped three times for Croatia, scored 19 goals for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side before returning to PAOK in January but he has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot.

It is understood the player is keen on a move to Glasgow with the potential of Champions League football and has agreed personal terms with the Ibrox club.

However, Sky Sports claim the Greek club are yet to decide whether they will conclude the transfer.

Van Bronckhorst has targeted Colak as a possible long-term replacement for Alfredo Morelos as speculation over his future continues to mount.

Spanish giants Sevilla have been strongly linked with the Colombian, who is entering the final 12 months of his current deal at Rangers, but a formal bid has yet to be submitted.

Who is Antonio Colak?

Born in Ludwigsburg, Germany on 17 September 1993, Antonio-Mirko Colak is a Croatian international, who plays as a striker for PAOK Salonika.

The 28-year-old started his career in the youth academies of SGV Freiberg and Hoffenheim, before making his professional debut in the German lower leagues for Karlsruher SC in 2011.

He signed for FC Nurnberg in 2012 and spent time in the reserves team before making his Bundesliga debut against last season’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

A short loan spell at Lechia Gdansk in Poland followed but his permanent move to Hoffenheim didn’t work out and he was sent out on a seasong-long loan to Kaiserslautern.

Temporary stints at Darmstadt 98, FC Ingolstadt and HNK Rijeka followed before joining the Croatian club on a three-year-deal in the summer of 2019.

He finished top scorer in the Croatian championship with 20 goals and won two Croatian Cups, which earned him a call-up to the senior national team squad.

In September 2020, Colak moved to PAOK on a four-year-deal worth 450,000 euros per year but the move to Greece hasn’t quite worked out the way he had expected.

He established himself as a prolific goalscorer during a loan spell with Malmo at the start of last season but the Swedes were unable to afford the buy out clause that had been inserted in his loan contract.

How likely is the deal to go ahead?

Discussions remain ongoing between the various parties as Colak joined up with his PAOK team mates for pre-season training earlier this week.

The Greek club are due to head to Holland on Monday for a training camp, so it would appear a solution will be finalised before the weekend.

However, there are still obstacles for Rangers to overcome before his signing is rubber-stamped. PAOK must decide whether they are prepared to sell Colak as they look at other striking options.