Propper upgrade: Rangers chasing late move for "complete & dominant" star

Glasgow Rangers are running out of time to make further additions to their playing squad before the January transfer window officially slams shut on Monday.

The Gers have been linked with several players ahead of deadline day, including Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis and Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.

However, their move for Cameron is one that looks set to take place in the summer when his contract with the Scottish Premiership side expires.

There is one star who Rangers are reportedly looking to snap up a new central defender in a last-gasp swoop to improve Philippe Clement’s options at the back.

Rangers eyeing new centre-back

According to The Scottish Sun, the Light Blues are chasing a late move to sign Chelsea centre-back Aaron Anselmino before the transfer window slams shut.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are eyeing a deal to sign the Argentine youngster on loan for the second half of the season, as the Premier League side want him to go out and play regularly until the summer.

It states that Clement wants further additions to his playing squad and that he could offer Anselmino a chance to play in the knock-out stages of the Europa League.

The Scottish Sun adds that Sheffield Wednesday and Ligue 1 giants Marseille are also interested in the central defender, which suggests that there could be strong competition for his services in the next 36 hours or so.

Why Rangers should sign Anselmino

Nils Koppen and Clement should push to win the race for his signature because he could come in as an excellent short-term addition in a position where the team is currently lacking.

James Tavernier was deployed at centre-back against USG on Thursday because of the injury issues in that position, and Anselmino could come in as a terrific option in that area.

In fact, the Chelsea youngster, who was once described as a “complete & dominant” player by scout Jacek Kulig, could come in as an upgrade on Robin Propper, based on his form for Boca Juniors.

Anselmino spent the second half of the 2024 campaign on loan at the Argentine side, having been bought from there by Chelsea last summer, and caught the eye with his performances at the heart of the defence.

As you can see in the table above, both centre-backs are reliable with the ball at their feet as they rarely cede possession and complete a high percentage of their passes in their own half.

However, Anselmino could come in to offer a more aggressive presence in the centre-back position for Clement by winning more duels and making more tackles and interceptions per game, whilst not making any major errors, if he can translate his form over to the Premiership.

These statistics suggest that Rangers could improve their team by bringing the 19-year-old starlet, who still has room to improve throughout his loan at Ibrox, to play ahead of the experienced Propper, who does not step in to cut out opposition attacks as frequently as the Chelsea youngster does.

Therefore, Koppen should push to get this deal over the line because Anselmino can provide a similar presence in possession whilst improving the team’s defensive work in the second half of the season.