Rangers ‘Ready To Seize The Opportunity’ In Midfielder Chase | OneFootball

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Rangers are ‘ready to seize the opportunity’ to snap up former Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah, who has been in a contractual standoff with French side Saint-Etienne.

Sunderland sent the midfielder on loan to the French club last August, including a clause that would allow Saint-Etienne to make the move permanent at the end of the spell.

Saint-Etienne eventually got relegated from Ligue 1, but the clause allowed Eirik Horneland’s team to make Ekwah’s move permanent, which they did.

However, the player refused to play for a second division team and his entourage insisted that Ekwah had terminated his contract at Saint-Etienne.

The French side are not backing down, but Ekwah’s camp believe that their client is available as a free agent and there has been interest in him.

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Rangers, Udinese and one other unnamed club are ‘ready to seize the opportunity’ and sign Ekwah.

The legal case around Ekwah’s contract dispute has been pushed back until the first half of next year.

The former Sunderland star continues to train on a daily basis with a personal trainer, but could well be rusty whenever he eventually takes to the pitch again.

Rangers will have to weigh up whether they want to try to take the midfielder to Ibrox before the contractual case has been decided.

Rangers are expected to be busy in the January transfer window, with one former top flight star feeling major surgery is needed.

Gers legend Barry Ferguson also tipped the Rangers board to give new manager Danny Rohl backing in the January transfer window.

If Rangers do sign Ekwah next month, they could well risk having to pay Saint-Etienne a substantial fee if the French side are successful in their case with the player.

The 23-year-old came through the youth set-up at Chelsea and West Ham United