Rangers 'interested' in signing World Cup winning defender in incredible ‘bargain move’

Scottish Premiership giants Rangers are believed to be leading the charge to sign talented CSKA Moscow star Sasa Zdjelar this January.

The Light Blues are in the market for reinforcements this winter after falling 15 points behind leaders Celtic in this year’s title race.

Clement is adamant that he still has the backing of the board to continue his rebuild despite yet another disappointing performance on the road in this week’s 1-1 draw with Dundee.

However, he did also claim earlier in the window that the club would be operating on a tight budget when recruiting new stars to avoid breaching any PSR rules that are in place.

Mail Sport understands that 29-year-old Zdjelar is a player that fits that this criteria due to his current contract situation in the capital, with FIFA granting foreign players the right to suspend their contracts with Russian clubs due to the war in Ukraine.

Rangers are battling a number of clubs in Germany to get the deal over the line, but do have the added advantage of being able to offer the footballer the chance to play in the Europa League. Something which all Russian clubs have been banned from competing in since 2022.

What could Sasa Zdjelar bring to Rangers?

Sasa Zdjelar is a 29-year-old Serbian international midfielder. He rose to prominence at Belgrade based side OFK Beograd as a 16-year-old in 2011 and four years later formed a key part of Serbia’s Under-20 World Cup winning team alongside the likes of Sergej Milinković-Savić and Predrag Rajkovic.

He moved to Greek giants Olympiakos in 2015 but was rarely given regular first team exposure as he spent time out on loan in the Spanish second-tier with Real Mallorca and in the Serbian top-flight with eventual cup winners Partizan.

After impressing back in the capital, Partizan signed Zdjelar on a permanent basis. He racked up a combined total of 197 appearances for the Serbian side and contributed six goals and 21 assists while at times also operating as a centre back.

Zdjelar moved to CSKA Moscow in July 2022 and has been a stalwart in the team since his arrival with 96 appearances, one goal and an assist while lifting one Russian Cup in the process.

Such form as recently seen the Serbian establish himself as an important member of the national team squad, with six of his nine caps coming in 2024 for Dragan Stojković’s side.