Wolves and Rangers fans won’t believe new Molineux developments in 26/27 | OneFootball

Nasser Djiga had a mixed loan spell at Rangers last season, but he has now established himself as a key player for Cesar Peixoto at Wolves.

Wolves have had a positive start to the season under Cesar Peixoto, with the team heading into the international break after a 1-0 win over bitter rivals West Brom.

Despite the narrow margin of victory, it was arguably Wolves’ most complete 90-minute performance this season, as they were far superior to Albion, who barely laid a glove on them.

Importantly, it means Wolves have recorded back-to-back clean sheets, and, after an indifferent start, the defence is now looking solid.

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A key reason for that has been the emergence of Nasser Djiga, with the centre-back finally getting a run in the Wanderers XI, over 18 months after he initially joined from Red Star Belgrade in January 2025.

Nasser Djiga had a mixed time at Rangers after failing to get minutes at Wolves

Wolves were a Premier League team when Djiga signed, so it was always going to be difficult for the Burkina Faso international to get near the XI - and that proved to be the case.

Therefore, a loan to Rangers was finalised for the 2025/26 season, and it’s fair to say Djiga had a mixed time at Ibrox.

The 23-year-old made some real howlers in the first few months of his career in Glasgow, and whilst he did improve, it was ultimately a disappointing campaign for the club, as they fell short in the title race and finished third.

So, whilst Djiga’s move north of the border was by no means a disaster, many Rangers fans weren’t too bothered to see the back of the defender, who had arrived with a decent reputation.

Nasser Djiga has taken his unexpected Wolves opportunity with both hands

With that in mind, even with Wolves’ relegation, it was hard to see where Djiga was going to fit in at Molineux on his return.

The club were well-stocked with centre-backs in the summer, and, when pre-season began, most Wolves fans would’ve had Djiga behind Yerson Mosquera, Santi Bueno, Ladislav Krejčí and Toti Gomes.

There was always a possibility that at least one of those could depart, and Bueno ultimately did, joining Club America in Mexico.

Yet, by that point, Djiga had moved ahead of the Uruguayan, as Peixoto was clearly impressed with how he applied himself in pre-season.

Nevertheless, Mosquera started ahead of Djiga in the Championship opener against Blackburn, so he was expected to play a bit-part role. However, the Colombian international suffered an ankle injury, which gave Djiga a chance to start at Preston.

And, since then, he has grasped that opportunity, by putting in some huge displays.

Djiga has looked assured in possession, he has good pace, and he has added composure to a back four that had lacked it over the years. Plus, he has all the physical attributes to cope with the demands of this level.

Wolves have the best defensive xG in the Championship

Following on from that, Djiga has been a key reason for Wolves boasting a strong defence.

Even though they’ve only kept two clean sheets, the stats show that Peixoto’s side haven’t done much wrong defensively, as they have the best xG against in the league, and by quite a distance, although they have played one fewer game than many rivals.

That’s not reflected in the goals against, as Wolves have shipped ten in seven games, but Jordan Thompson, Sam Gallagher, Jay Stansfield and Divine Mukasa all scored excellent goals against Wolves, whilst Jackson Tchatchoua’s comical own goal against Birmingham City must also be mentioned.

So, Peixoto and Wolves would’ve hoped that those types of goals simply couldn’t keep happening, and it has proven to be the case, as Sheffield United and Albion have barely created a chance of note between them in the past two games.

Nasser Djiga has the potential to be a Premier League player at Wolves

Of course, that defensive unit is a collective effort, and Peixoto demands a lot from every player in terms of pressing and the off-the-ball structure.

But, there’s no denying that Djiga is crucial to the way Wolves are defending, and, right now, he is looking like a complete centre-back by Championship standards.

The major caveat is that it’s still very early days, and the ex-Basel man must maintain this level over the season, but, at 23, Djiga has all the tools to become a key figure at Wolves for the years to come.

That is quite the turnaround for someone who appeared to have no meaningful future at Molineux going into pre-season, and it will have surprised Wolves and Rangers fans in equal measure.