An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their efforts to improve their defensive options in the summer transfer window…
What's the latest on Jonathan Panzo to Rangers?
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Light Blues have asked about a potential deal to sign Jonathan Panzo from Premier League side Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The reporter revealed:
"Rangers are set to complete deal to sign Sam Lammers this week — medicals are scheduled on Wednesday. #Rangers Understand Rangers have also asked for Jonathan Panzo again as new centre-back, talks are ongoing — but there are also German and English clubs keen on signing him."
This comes after Football Insider reported that a fee in the region of £2m could be enough to secure the 22-year-old's signature.
How would Jonathan Panzo fit in at Rangers?
The English centre-back, who was once hailed as "exciting" by Forest boss Steve Cooper, is a left-footed battler who could line up on his favoured foot next to the experienced Connor Goldson.
Having the natural balance of a left-footed and right-footed central defensive pairing can be crucial to the build-up play as they would be able to open up onto their favourite side to pass the ball out from the back, whether that is to the flanks or by breaking lines into midfield.
This means that Panzo and Goldson are a viable partnership and the Gers could, therefore, form a monster pairing for Michael Beale as they are both dominant titans who are able to bully opposition forwards.
The 22-year-old brute spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Coventry City in the Championship and enjoyed a solid year.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 appearances and won 58% of his individual duels, which came after he won the same percentage of his battles in 22 outings in Ligue 1 for Dijon during the 2021/22 season.
These statistics show that the English talent is able to win the majority of his physical contests at the back and does not allow himself to be ousted by opposing attackers too often.
Goldson, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.29 in 25 Scottish Premiership matches for Rangers and won an impressive 67% of his duels, which came after he came out on top in 68% of his fights in the league in the previous campaign.
The experienced 30-year-old enforcer has proven himself to be a dominant centre-back in Scotland and Panzo, who is eight years younger than him, could improve his own game in that regard by learning from the former Brighton & Hove Albion titan.
Therefore, they could be a monstrous pairing at the back for Beale as they are both physically intimidating players who have the potential to strike fear into opposition teams.
