After missing out on Champions League football, Rangers are set to face a fight to keep hold of big-money star Djeidi Gassama this summer.

Rangers could lose attacking star

There was a moment when it looked like a season of so much promise for Rangers. Danny Rohl had settled into his Ibrox tenure and any failure under Russell Martin had long been forgotten. It even looked like the Gers could secure their first Scottish Premiership title since 2021. That, however, quickly fell apart.

By the time the season came to a conclusion, Rangers found themselves third and Rohl found himself in a public spat with James Tavernier. The fact that the 49ers have been forced to publicly back their manager ever since tells the story of how that internal battle went.

It could be the start of a long summer for those at Ibrox after missing out on Champions League football. According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Rohl is now scrambling to keep hold of Gassama, who is set to draw further interest after offers initially arrived in the January transfer window.

Rangers decided against selling the winger in the winter window, despite offers from AS Monaco which would reach the £10m-mark. Now, months later, they could face a fight to keep hold of him once again.

O'Rourke told Football Insider: "Gassama, as you said, there was bit of interest around him in January. I expect to see that resurface in the summer window.

“Missing out on the league title and potential qualification to the Champions League will be a big blow to Rangers. It makes them susceptible to offers from other clubs for their players and they might find it tough to turn down offers like they did in the January window."

Rangers must fight to keep Gassama

The chance to cash in will be tempting for the 49ers this summer, but if they want to back Rohl, they should do everything to keep hold of Gassama.

The German is a big fan of the winger, having told reporters in the early stages of his tenure: "He has to improve with his load so he can do it for 90 minutes, but that’s a normal process if you don’t play much in the past.

"But he has a weapon, he’s good one against one, and he’s also quick to make good movements between the lines and in the pockets. I’m happy with him.

"He had a big opportunity in the first half with the transition, and we spoke before about ball positions. We spoke to the young players about coming in and showing what they can do, and he’s doing so step by step. He was fantastic in training, and that’s the reason why we took him."

With nine goals and six assists in all competitions this season, the numbers also suggest that the 22-year-old has so much more to offer Rangers.

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