Rangers locked in transfer battle with Chelsea, Brighton and two other European giants for EFL teen sensation

Rangers are locked in a five-way transfer battle to sign teenage sensation Souleymane Sidibe this summer, according to reports.

The England youth international - who plies his trade with EFL Championship side Stoke City - features high on a list of several big European clubs, including Premier League duo Chelsea and Brighton, Italian Serie A giants Juventus, French Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco.

The Light Blues have expressed an interest in the 17-year-old central midfielder, who holds a French passport and can also commit his international future to Senegal or Mali due to his origins.

Sidibe made his first-team debut for the Potters against Rotherham United at the age of 16 years and 176 days in August last year - one month after putting pen to paper on his first professional contract. He became the first player born in 2007 to make his debut in one English football’s top two divisions and also became the second youngest player in Stoke’s to be handed his first senior start.

Having progressed through the club’s academy system, where he has been since 2015, the Paris-born youngster has already gained plenty of plaudits for his performances. Described as a ‘precocious talent’, capable of playing in a box-to-box position in a report by French outlet Footmeracto, Sidibe has made eight appearances in all competitions this season.

He has caught the eye of a number of scouts from across the UK and central Europe, with the player’s physicality, power and dribbling ability among his strongest qualities, it has been claimed.

Speaking earlier this season after his breakthrough campaign, Sidibe said: “The first team experience at the start of the season was great. I had the opportunity to show what I could do, that was all I wanted, and I hope there are more to come. The staff showed that they believed in me and gave me the opportunity to progress and become a better footballer.”

Sidibe - who is under contract at the bet365 Stadium until June 2026 - was recently called up to the Three Lions Under-18s squad and the report suggests Stoke will now want to part ways with one of their rising stars without putting up a fight.