Rangers 'step up' efforts to sign talented €1.50m-rated starlet - but transfer pursuit takes fresh twist
Penarol’s president has jetted out to Mexico for a TransferRoom summit where he will come face-to-face with Gers recruitment chief Nils Koppen
Damian Garcia remains one of Rangers most talked about transfer targets this summer - with his ongoing contract dispute at Penarol continuing to make the headlines.
The talented defensive midfielder, who came through the youth ranks of the Uruguayan club, has gone on to make 45 first-team appearances and played an influential role in guiding his country to Under-20 World Cup glory last year.
He is on the shortlist of target drafted up by Gers boss Philippe Clement and director of football recruitment Nils Koppen as the club’s summer squad revamp steps up. It follows Clement’s decision to allow five Ibrox stars to leave upon the expiry of their deals, with the Belgian claiming the Govan outfit have reached the “end of a cycle.”
Reports in his homeland have indicated Garcia will be staying with Penarol until December when he is due to become a free agent, but ex-PSV Eindhoven recruitment chief Koppen is hoping to make progress on striking a potential deal this week after jetting out to Mexico for the latest TransferRoom summit in Cancun.
The Light Blues have previously exploited the event to snap up players, with former sporting director Ross Wilson regularly attending TR’s headquarters to conduct face-to-face meetings.
And in a fresh twist, it’s reported by Uruguayan outlet Montevideo that Garcia’s parent club also have representation at the conference with president Ignacio Ruglio in attendance. His presence is sure to turn heads in Glasgow, with Gers supporters left pondering whether well-connected Koppen can steal a march in their efforts to sign the player.
The likelihood of both clubs scheduling a meet up to discuss Garcia’s potential availability is high, but Ruglio has explained Rangers face competition from 35 different clubs from across the globe as he described how the summit works.
“The clubs make an appointment with whoever they are interested in and every 15 minutes there is a meeting,” he stated. “They serve to see how they view you from other sides and which Penarol players they have viewed.
“At the time we signed up, the next day there were 36 meetings requested from clubs around the world. All of them yesterday were very good and today we have more.”