Rangers Table Offer For This Former Centre-Back: Ibrox Return On The Cards? | OneFootball

If a report from the Swiss outlet Watson is believed to be true, Rangers have handed Nikola Katic an opportunity to return to Glasgow before the winter deadline. The wantaway FC Zurich defender, keen to finish the unfinished business, could now be brought back to resolve their injury woes in the heart of the backline.

Meanwhile, Record Sport understands that the player’s entourage has not received any formal offer from Rangers. Katic is forcing an exit by being left out of matchday squads to facilitate the transfer and has now been warned by boss Ricardo Moniz for complicating his situation at Letzigrund.

The 28-year-old former Croatia international was one of then-boss Steven Gerrard’s early signings in the summer of 2018. His impressive stints with Neretvanac Opuzen and Slaven Belupo earned him a €2.28m move to Ibrox. Although he made 59 appearances during his first two seasons, a severe knee injury ruled him out for the entire 2020-21 campaign.

Katic returned to action a year later but was surplus to requirements following the arrival of Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun. The Gers sanctioned a season-long loan to Hajduk Split and the centre-back slowly regained his composure with regular minutes. His revival caught the eyes of the Zurich scouts ahead of a permanent transfer in the summer of 2022.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 03: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal is challenged by Nikola Katic of FC Zurich during the UEFA Europa League group A match between Arsenal FC and FC Zürich at Emirates Stadium on November 03, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

While he was way down the pecking order behind Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Jack Simpson, Bassey and Balogun, the spell at Zurich helped him reinstate his status as a top-notch centre-half. Katic also switched his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina and is now a regular for them with six international appearances since June 2024.

Why Rangers Should Bring Him Back

Rangers are in dire need of defensive reinforcements after losing John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo through injuries. They roped in Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille who, along with Robin Propper, remain the only two senior centre-backs available for selection. Philippe Clement was forced to promote  Clinton Nsiala and Leon King from the reserves, however, neither Nsiala nor Fernandes is eligible to feature against Union Saint-Gilloise in their final Europa League group phase encounter.

Katic, on the other hand, could be secured as a quick fix to restore depth and stability in the defensive third. But he is capable of providing a long-term solution with 36-year-old Balogun expected to part ways upon the completion of the current season. Kasanwirjo has only joined on loan from Feyenoord, whereas versatile Dujon Sterling should not be considered an outright central defensive option week in and week out. The Bosnian, therefore, might challenge and cover Propper and Souttar once the latter recovers from his groin injury.