Rangers put Ciro Immobile 2.0 on their radar as he eyes next move after winter chat of Sunderland collapsed

He’s watched a move to Sunderland fall to the wayside - and now a striker with a lofty comparison could get his UK chance at Rangers.

Russell Martin has arrived at Ibrox as head coach and will be backed by new owners Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises in the transfer market. Plenty of strikers have been linked so far, including Dor Turgeman and Jamie Vardy, but the latest to be linked is Westerlo’s Matija Frigan.

Capped by Croatia at every level except senior, he scored 14 goals in 41 games for the club based in Belgium last season. He joined Westerlo two years ago from Rijeka in his native Croatia for around £4.5m on a five year deal and this would not be his first rodeo when it comes to talk of the UK, as Frigan insisted Sunderland advances were serious in the winter window.

Rangers want star who previously spoke with Sunderland

Eventually, he had to shelf that type of chat. He said in April to Germanijak over interest from Sunderland: “I think it was serious. I don't worry about it, I have people who follow it, but I heard that there was talk about it at the club. I liked the idea, but when it didn't work out, I put it out of my mind the next morning. Summer is coming, maybe a new opportunity, but I have a solid contract, the club decides everything.”

His length of contract means any buying club like Rangers would likely need to cough up a decent fee to tempt his club into a sale. 24Sata report: “His games did not go unnoticed on the big stage, and the returnee in the Bundesliga HSV is interested in him. But they are not the only ones. Scottish Glasgow Rangers and a club from La Liga are also interested in Matija's service Although he has a contract with the Belgians until 2028, it is quite clear that Frigan will continue his footballing journey elsewhere in Europe. The only question is under what conditions the striker will leave the Belgian club.”

Rangers target compared to Ciro Immobile

There have been big name comparisons thrown about by Westerlo when it comes to the striker, who said in their unveiling that the Croatian has shades of Italian frontman Ciro Immobile. They said: “The Croatian promising forward Matija Frigan has put his signature at the bottom of the contract that ties him to our club for the next 5 years.

“Frigan scored 15 goals in 30 matches for HNK Rijeka during the past season, demonstrating that despite his young age, he can take the lead. A goal every two matches is indeed impressive for a striker’s confidence. He also registered three assists and finished the season in brilliant form with six goals in his last nine matches in the SuperSport HNL, Croatia’s top division.

“It is a remarkable achievement for our club to secure the signing of this forward, who is occasionally compared to Italian striker Ciro Immobile. Our new number 9 is already known for his excellent finishing, killer instinct, and heading ability. We wish Matija the best of luck in the coming years.”