£10M Nasser Djiga struggling at Rangers as club considers options | OneFootball

If there was one player last summer gone that Ibrox Noise had high hopes for, it was Nasser Djiga of Wolves, a move that was covered in detail when the loan was first confirmed by Ibrox Noise. The Premier League defender came to Rangers with around a £10 million market value and an excellent CV. That CV included 14 Champions League appearances and at two league titles. He also won two Serbian national cups with Red Star Belgrade, achievements that were highlighted again when Ibrox Noise previewed his arrival. Red Star Belgrade are essentially the Serbian Rangers. They are expected to win every single league and title. Djiga did exactly that while he was there.

A fresh start that never quite came

Unfortunately, it did not quite go to plan in England. Djiga did not break through at Molineux as he hoped. He was loaned out to Rangers to start afresh, a deal that Rangers officially announced on their own website. He was meant to make a new break of things. Unfortunately, despite clear defensive ability, it has not clicked. He has lost his place in the rear guard. Emmanuel Fernandez has overtaken him.

Partnership problems at the back

The big problem Djiga has is operating beside another right sided defender. He struggles alongside players with the same orientation. The partnership under Russell Martin with John Souttar did not work. There was no understanding between the two. Djiga had some good individual moments. However, fans turned against him after the ducked header misjudgement in Europe, an incident that Sky Sports later referenced.

A moment that changed everything

Furthermore, once that happened, he was dismissed as a bad defender. Fans completely turned on him. Ibrox Noise did not have much defence to make of him that night. In fairness, the wind did play a part. Nevertheless, Djiga never really recovered from that incident.

Confidence and momentum lost

At the African Cup of Nations, he did not play a minute for Burkina Faso, a detail that also appears clearly in his Wikipedia career record. His stock has dropped. He is struggling to make an impact. He has clearly lost his place to Emmanuel Fernandez. Fernandez and Souttar are now Rangers’ first choice pairing.

Defensive issues remain

That pairing is not an iron curtain. Souttar and Fernandez have been exposed several times. Rangers’ defence remains frail. In the last three big encounters, only one goal was conceded. That looks impressive on paper. However, football is not played on paper. On the pitch, vulnerabilities remain. Attacking full backs do not help either.

Does Jaiga have a future at Rangers

As for Djiga, he has looked lost as a Rangers player. It has not clicked as Ibrox Noise hoped when we originally billed him as Champions League quality. He is clearly a talent. He can clearly defend. However, he does not suit Rangers or the league. He did not suit the Premier League at Wolves either. It may be that he peaked in Serbia.

What happens next

We hope that is not the case but we do not think it will work out for Djiga at Rangers now. We do hope he finds a club and system that suits him. He could be cut loose this window if a deal appears that can replace him at Rangers. But Wolves have no strong reason to recall him unless injuries force their hand.

A door still slightly open

For now, Djiga will likely remain at Rangers. We would like to see him get another chance. But that would mean replacing John Souttar. In theory, Djiga and Fernandez could complement each other. A lefty and righty often works best. The problem is that this pairing already failed. They were cut open against Livingston. There was no understanding.

There is also no understanding between Souttar and Djiga. Again, that is two right sided defenders. Either way, no combination seems to work with Djiga. Souttar and Fernandez are not perfect. However, they remain the best option for now. What happens with Djiga remains unclear. Time will tell.