Rangers transfer rumour confusion ignites as conflicting links emerge over attacker 'ready for the next step'
Rangers have been exploring unknown markets across the globe since Nils Koppen's arrival at Ibrox.
Confusion surrounding links between Rangers and Malaysian winger Arif Aiman Hanapi look to have been cleared up following some conflicting reports in recent days.
Ibrox emerged as a possible destination for Hanapi last weekend, with English-language Malaysian newspaper the New Strait Times reporting on Rangers interest. The 22-year-old currently plays for Johor Darul Ta’zim in his homeland and has four goals and seven assists in 11 Super League appearances.
A string of fine performances in the AFC (Asian) Champions League Elite has also caught the eye but it seems links to Rangers are not all they seem. The Malaysian report claims Hanapi has ‘reportedly attracted attention’ from the Scottish Premiership side and ‘it remains to be seen if the interest will translate into a concrete offer’.
They then cite Rangers Journal as a source, linking to an X account from the Rangers fan page who regularly produce scouting reports on unknown talent who could be a good fit for Rangers. In the report, they write: “Ready for the next challenge of his career and will be available on a pre-contract in January.” But there is no suggestion of actual interest in the forward.
Hanapi would fit the bill for Rangers, who have adopted a more widespread approach to recruitment under director of football recruitment Nils Koppen. In a bid to gain an advantage over their rivals, the Ibrox club have recruited from across the globe including the signings of forward Hamza Igamane and full-back Jefte, who arrived from Morocco and Brazil respectively.
“It’s important to look all over the globe where we can compete financially to get the best talents to the club,” Koppen told RangersTV last month. “We also don’t want to lose the focus on Scotland and the local market. I think to look worldwide gives us more opportunity to sign these talents and everyone realises that the UK market for us is getting difficult financially.
“We need to be more creative, think outside of the box and look for profiles that are suitable for our league even if they’re from Brazil or Morocco. It’s a challenge but it’s not only Brazil and Morocco; we want to look worldwide to where we think we can have success.
“It’s a big advantage to get that desire into the dressing room and hunger to take the next steps. It’s a good thing to have that burning desire, but also we’re looking for winners and players who can raise the standards on and off the pitch. It doesn’t matter if they’re 18 or 25-years-old – it’s a key thing to have in a place like this.”