Rangers transfer exit 'on hold' as Ligue 1 club prioritise another striker after signing World Cup winner

Hamza Igamane is reportedly “very excited” about a potential big-money move to Lille - despite the Ligue 1 club putting their transfer interest in the Rangers striker on hold briefly.

The French side, who recently snapped up Arsenal and Chelsea legend Olivier Giroud from MLS side LAFC, are keen on the Moroccan international, who could earn the Ibrox club over £10 million.

Lille are understood to have made contact with the Light Blues regarding the 22-year-old’s situation and have been in discussions with the player’s representatives over personal terms, but have NOT yet made an official approach, contrary to reports.

And it’s now claimed that Lille have put pursuit of the former FAR Rabat ace on the backburner for the time being, having prioritised a €3m deal for young Udinese forward Vivaldo Semedo instead.

According to L’Equipe, their decision to target Semedo is “while waiting for the Hamza Igamane situation to resolve”, indicating that their interest will continue.

Lille are in the market for more firepower and a direct replacement for Canadian star Jonathan David, who is wanted by Juventus and Newcastle United this summer.

Fellow Ligue 1 teams Strasbourg and Stade Rennais have also been credited with an interest in Igamane, with Rangers thought to have placed a £15m valuation on the player they signed for just £1.7 million a year ago.

Where would Hamza Igamane fit into the Lille team?

The prospect of teaming up with France World Cup winner Giroud is sure to excite Igamane, who is destined to secure Rangers a significant profit.

However, he was not a regular starter during his debut season in Govan and would likely face stiff competition from the likes of Semedo for game time at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy should he join Lille.

Former Rangers and Leeds United frontman Ross McCormack believes a deal will get finalised shortly despite the hefty asking price.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard earlier this week, he said: “You just go back to what happened with (Alfredo) Morelos and (Ryan) Kent - they should have sold them, and let them go probably two transfer windows, maybe even three in the case of Morelos, before they actually let them go.

“You talk about learning from your mistakes as a club, I think Igamane is the one I would be looking to do. He would command quite a big fee. The thing for me is, being an ex-player and knowing how transfers work, the fact that it is coming out that he has agreed personal terms tells me that Lille are saying the fee ain’t going to be a problem.”