Rangers have opened talks to sign Akpe Victory from Zalaegerszeg and are close to making an offer for the 19-year-old centre-back, according to reports on Friday.
The move would fit Danny Röhl’s plan to add fresh defensive options before the summer, after Rangers’ recent problems at the back helped derail their Scottish Premiership title challenge. Victory has become one of the standouts of a breakthrough season in Hungary, where he has made 15 appearances and scored once for Zalaegerszeg.
The expected fee is understood to be in excess of £4.3million, underlining how quickly the Nigeria-born defender’s stock has risen. Rangers are not alone in the race. Benfica have already made an offer, while clubs from Germany, Spain and France are also said to be monitoring him closely.
Ben Jacobs said Rangers were in talks to buy Akpe Victory from Zalaegerszegi, describing the 19-year-old Nigerian centre-back as a player tracked across several major European leagues. That competition is the key tension for Rangers now: if they want to turn interest into a signing, they may need to move fast and be decisive on a fee that will test their summer plans.
For Victory, the next step appears to be a choice between immediate movement and more waiting. For Rangers, the challenge is more pressing. Their season showed what can happen when the back line is exposed, and this pursuit suggests the club do not intend to carry that weakness into the next campaign.
