Rangers 'considering' move for Coventry City winger as loan deal discussed ahead of Premiership opener
Light Blues may be targeting a double deal before the start of the season
Rangers are ‘considering’ a loan bid for Coventry City wide man Jahnoah Markelo as part of a potential double deal before their SPFL Premiership opener against Dundee United.
The 23-year old right winger signed for Frank Lampard’s side in January from Swiss outfit FC Zurich in a deal worth around £4.2m. However, he only made five Championship appearances during Coventry’s title-winning campaign. Rangers have expressed an interest in the Dutchman, who is also eligible for the Suriname National Team.
After the goalless draw against West Ham, Rangers boss Derek McInnes said he was hoping for two more bodies in the door before their opener on Friday night. One of which looks to be Philadelphia Union defender Olwethu Makhanya, who the Gers are looking to secure for a £3m fee. The other hasn’t surfaced as yet, however Markelo is one of several candidates.
Rangers ‘considering’ move for Coventry winger
According to Sky Sports: “Rangers are considering a move for Coventry City winger Jahnoah Markelo. Talks have taken place over a season-long loan deal, with the 23-year-old among options under consideration by Ibrox chiefs. Sky Sports News understands the player was also of interest to Rangers last year, prior to his €5m move from FC Zurich to Coventry in January.”
Born in Amsterdam, Markelo came through the ranks of the world renowned Ajax academy before moving to FC Twente, where he earned his first professional appearance. Despite his young age, the winger is fairly well-travelled, having enjoyed subsequent spells at Kustosija in Croatia and Celje in Slovenia before moving to Zurich.
The Light Blues have discovered other options on the right flank, where they are currently lacking depth. Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, who impressed on loan at Bolton last season, also remains under consideration. Meanwhile, former loanee Vaclav Cerny is still a person of interest, however this would be the more ambitious choice given his high wages at current club Besiktas.
What has Frank Lampard said about Markelo?
Speaking to Coventry Live a few months after his transfer to the Sky Blues, manager Lampard claimed the ‘confident’ winger had settled in well despite his limited game time. He said: “He’s got talent. He’s come in and shown his talent on the training pitch. It’s not easy to come from a different league that’s not at the level of our league, in honesty, and he’s coming with a confidence about him. You can see it.
“Does he need to adapt a little bit to the speed of the game here and that? Yeah, I’m pretty sure he does but he’s been impressive how he’s come in. I thought we did really well (signing Markelo), He’s trained really well and he needs to adapt to the league. I know that, I think he knows that but he’s a confident lad. He came on in a different type of game where you could see his attacking attributes, and we’ve seen that in training. So he’s really good and we’re happy.”