Oussama Targhalline in focus: Who is Rangers target and what could he offer the Light Blues next season

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is currently in the process of creating a brand new team with the intention of dethorning Celtic after three successive years of missing out on the title.

The Light Blues are hoping to build a much younger team this term to achieve this goal and the likes of Mohamed Dimoande, Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala and inbound striker Hamza Igmane are all examples of players under the age of 25 which have been recruited this summer.

They replace an outgoing quintet of John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe and Jon McLaughlin who are all over the age of 30. 

Clement is looking to use the market to find the best potential from around the globe and one player that has caught his eye in recent weeks, according to reports from L’Equipe is Le Havre midfielder Oussama Targhalline.

The 22-year-old youngster is entering the final year of his contract at Stade Océane this season, but who is Targhalline, what is his expected value and why are Rangers in the hunt for his signature?

Who is Oussama Taghalline?

Oussama Targhalline is a 22-year-old central midfielder that currently plays his football for Le Havre in Ligue 1.

Born in Sidi Belyout in the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco, he moved to France when he was just 18-years-old after showcasing his talents at Mohammed Vi football academy in his homeland.

Founded in 2009, the purpose of the academy is to help Morocco produce more footballers that are capable of playing at professional level and so far senior internationals such as Nayef Aguerd of West Ham and Youssef En-Nesyri of Sevilla have both progressed through the academy while also playing a role in the nation’s road to a World Cup semi-final in 2022.

Targhalline earned his first professional contract with Marseille and showcased signs of promise before earning his first team debut in 2022 under former Argentina and Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli.

In 2022, the youngster gained experience in the Turkish Super Liga with Alanyaspor, where he played six games before returning to France.

A permanent switch to Le Havre followed that summer and in his first season with the Sky and Navy he helped the club lift the Ligue 2 title, playing 12 games and scoring one goal as the club returned to the top-flight for the first time in 15 years.

The following season, he emerged as an even more important player and despite suffering with injury early in the season, he played a total of 14 games, helping his side to a 15th place finish, three points ahead of the drop zone.

Targhalline is also rated highly in the international setup and is expected to be on a trajectory to the first team in the next few years. So far he has represented his nation at U17, U20 and U23 level.

He was a member of the team which lifted the UNAF tournament at both U17 and U20 level in 2018 and 2020 respectively, but his most notable contribution come last year when he played a major role in helping his side lift a first ever Africa Cup of Nations title at youth level, whilst notably scoring the winning goal in the final against Egypt.

With Targhalline stock rising L’Equipe reports that Le Havre are desperate to tie him down to a long-term contract, but the outlet also understands that the club are in a difficult position financially meaning that they may be forced to sell before buying any new players.

The outlet has not yet stated a price for the youngster but believes that his price could rise further if he is to impress when representing Morocco at the Olympic Games this summer, where he will play alongside Rangers forward Igmane.