Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers lose out to Rangers in transfer race | OneFootball

Rangers have confirmed the signing of James Penrice from AEK Athens after the left-back had been linked with Middlesbrough and Blackburn.

Rangers have completed the signing of James Penrice from AEK Athens after the left-back had been on the radar of Middlesbrough and Blackburn.

The 27-year-old, who came through the ranks at Partick Thistle, joined Hearts 12 months ago after an impressive spell at Livingston, and his form in the capital prompted the Greek side to make a move for the defender.

However, Penrice has had a difficult time with AEK Athens, as he struggled to establish himself as a regular in the XI.

Action images

Rangers win transfer battle for Middlesbrough and Blackburn target James Penrice

Therefore, Penrice was always going to be on the market in the summer window, and it was claimed that Middlesbrough and Blackburn had made an enquiry for the player back in July.

As well as that, it had been suggested that Norwich were monitoring the Scotsman, whilst Celtic were also credited with an interest.

But, nothing materialised, and Rangers have swooped in to secure a deal for Penrice, as they announced his arrival over the weekend.

The Glasgow outfit have endured a miserable start to the season, picking up just one point from their opening two league games, and they were dumped out of the Europa League by Polish side Jagiellona Bialystok over two legs.

That defeat means Derek McInnes’ side face Jablonec in a play-off round just to reach the Europa Conference League.

Meanwhile, an injury to Tuur Rommens has left Rangers without a senior left-back at the club, so it was no surprise that the club moved quickly to sign Penrice.

James Penrice would’ve been a smart low-risk signing for any Championship club

It’s no surprise that clubs in the Championship were keen on Penrice, as he had been very good in Scotland prior to his move to AEK Athens.

As well as that, this looks like a favourable deal from Rangers’ perspective, as he has moved to Ibrox on an initial loan, with the option to buy the player.

So, it’s low-risk, as there is no major financial commitment, and if Penrice does well at Rangers, then they will take the option to bring him in on a permanent basis.

With that in mind, you would’ve expected Championship clubs to be open to a similar deal, but there may be a reason that no club actively went after Penrice despite making enquiries.

Middlesbrough have since signed Max Arfsten, so they should be sorted for the left-back position, but the likes of Blackburn and Norwich may be open to a new recruit if the right players become available on the market.

Action images

It will be interesting to see how Penrice performs at Rangers, and ultimately we will see over the course of the season whether Championship clubs regret not going for the player.

Rommens’ injury means he is likely to be thrown into the XI immediately by McInnes, so the new addition will be desperate to get off to a fast start to keep his place even when the Belgian returns to action.