An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster their defensive options in the summer transfer window...
According to the Daily Record, the Light Blues are 'edging closer' to securing a £2.5m deal to sign central defender Jonathan Panzo.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are closing in on a swoop for the left-sided ace as they remain in talks to secure the Englishman's signature.
It states that Gers head coach Michael Beale wants to add a left-footed defender to his squad before the end of the window, and they now appear set to do that by beating Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion to the signing of the 22-year-old Nottingham Forest man.
The talented Forest enforcer could be an excellent addition for the Ibrox giants as the defender could be a dream heir to current first-team star Ben Davies.
Former Gers sporting director Ross Wilson snapped the defender up from Liverpool last summer and the battler, who turns 28 later this year, enjoyed a strong debut campaign in Scotland.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 27 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and displayed his defensive attributes with 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 67%.
These statistics show that the ex-Preston North End man maintained a strong performance level and was able to dominate opposition forwards on the floor and in the air over the course of the season.
Panzo, who was once described as an "exciting" young player by Forest boss Steve Cooper, could come in with the aim of competing with Davies before eventually taking his place in the XI.
Indeed, Premier League prodigy is five years younger than the Gers talent and has time on his side to dislodge him.
The 22-year-old spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Coventry in the Championship and caught the eye with his performances in the division.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 outings and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a 58% success rate in his battles, which shows that the youngster is capable of winning the majority of duels and is not bullied by opposition forwards.
His form for Mark Robins' side suggests that the young star has the potential to be an upgrade on Davies by maintaining a higher performance level whilst also making far more defensive interventions per match to cut out opposition attacks. That said, there is no guarantee that he would be able to translate that form over to the Premiership.
Despite that, Panzo has the potential to be a success at Ibrox as the Englishman could be a dream heir to eventually take over from the former Liverpool defender.