Rangers 'reluctant' to sell star wanted by West Ham United as ex Hammers scout delivers Ibrox future latest
Rangers may be able to hold on to their star man on one key condition
Rangers will be able to keep sought after defender Emmanuel Fernandez as long as they qualify for the Champions League, according to former West Ham and Manchester United scout Mick Brown.
The Nigerian has been the subject of interest from the Hammers after bursting onto the scene at Ibrox this season. At 6’ 4”, Fernandez has figuratively and literally been a giant figure at the back for Danny Rohl’s side, making 28 appearances despite being a fringe player at the start of the campaign. He was recently announced as Rangers’ only representative in the PFA Premiership team of the year.
The 24-year old’s aerial ability in both boxes has seen him attract interest from all over Europe, including West Ham, who’ve identified Fernandez as a potential replacement for defender Konstantinos Mavropanos when he leaves in the summer. The Light Blues have always struggled to keep a hold of their best players when Premier League clubs come calling, however Brown believes if Rangers qualify for the Champions League, there’s a chance the centre back will stay at the club. The SPFL no longer has an automatic pathway into the competition, however Rangers could still make it without needing to qualify through their club co-efficient ranking.
Former Hammers scout says Rangers can keep Fernandez
Brown told Football Insider: “Rangers are determined to keep hold of their best players. The best way they can do that is by winning the title, then they can qualify for the Champions League, and that gives them a great chance of keeping them. It also gives them a better chance of recruiting new players to strengthen their squad, which they will need to be looking at as well.
“So with regard to Emmanuel Fernandez, Danny Rohl sees him as a big part of his plans for the future and they are reluctant to let him go. As with any of their top players, there will be interest from elsewhere, but they will be confident of keeping hold of him if they can win the league. That’s easier said than done, of course, but it has to be their main goal between now and the end of the season.”
Fernandez has been a revelation at Ibrox this season after and has helped Rangers climb up the table after their shaky start. The Light Blues now sit just a point behind league leaders Hearts in their quest for a first League title in five years. However, If they were to prevail come the end of May, the Champions League would by no means be a guarantee.
How can Rangers qualify for the Champions League?
Following a recent slump for Scottish teams on the continent in the past few seasons, the league winners now enter the Champions League in the qualification play-off round. It was at this stage in August that Rangers were embarrassed 9-1 on aggregate by Club Brugge. If they were to finish second, they would enter at the second qualification stage. However, if Rangers lift the league trophy on May 16th, there’s still a chance they can qualify automatically through the ‘title-holder re-balancing’ initiative, introduced by UEFA to ensure more actual champions of their domestic league can reach the competition.
Based on their UEFA coefficient, only Olympiakos sit above Rangers in the points tally, however the Greek side are currently five points behind league leaders AEK Athens in their domestic league. Shakhtar Donetsk sit below Rangers in the standings, but are still able to catch them through the UEFA Conference League. The Ukranian side sit top of their domestic division and will face Crystal Palace in the semi finals on the European stage. A win would see them overtake Rangers and acquire the last automatic spot.