Looks like the jocks are in for him, times article below.
Rangers planning to beat Charlton to Diawara deal
By Phil Gordon
PAUL LE GUEN could be ready to outbid Charlton Athletic to secure the man he believes can solve Rangers’ defensive problems by offering Sochaux, of France, more than £2 million to recruit Souleymane Diawara.
The Ibrox manager is poised to enter the contest for the Senegal centre-back after watching his team concede sloppy goals in four of the opening five matches in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague that have cost Rangers ten points.
Iain Dowie, the Charlton manager, had become the favourite to sign Diawara but now Le Guen — who has already lured Jeremy Clement, the Lyons midfield player, from the French league — may persuade Diawara his future lies in Scotland.
Le Guen is also keen on Austria Vienna’s Sasa Papac as he he looks to bring some experience to his backline before tomorrow night’s transfer deadline. Diawara is being pursued by a host of Barclays Premiership clubs including Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Charlton.
However, his agent, Roger Boli, the brother of the former Ibrox defender, Basile Boli, confirmed yesterday that Rangers have made contact with Sochaux. Diawara has told his club he wants to leave immediately after four years of service and was left out of the weekend win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Sochaux had been asking for around £3 million, but it looks as though they will have to lower that price tag after a total breakdown in their relationship with the player. Diawara, who began his career at Le Havre, where he played alongside another former Rangers player, Jean-Alain Boumsong, was linked to Ibrox in December 2005 when Alex McLeish was at the helm.
Speaking at that time, Boli said: “Rangers are my favourite club because my brother, Basile, used to play for them. I’d do everything I can to make a deal happen for Souleymane to go there.”
Papac had been Le Guen’s first choice. However, the Frenchman’s budget is not expansive — he has spent just £3.6 million — so any new signing may not go through unless unwanted players leave. One of those, Nacho Novo, had his planned talks with Martin Bain, the chief executive, cancelled as Bain had left the country.
Papac is now with the Bosnia squad in Sarajevo awaiting word from Vienna that he can fly to Glasgow to complete his deal. The Austrian club say they expect a bid of £900,000 to be faxed. “I am getting a bit nervous,” Papac said yesterday. “Time is running out. I really hope to be a Rangers player but it’s out of my control.”
Rangers had hoped to off-load José Pierre-Fanfan but he injured his knee in a bounce game and that could now jeopardise any switch.
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Comments
Its a pony league and the weather is rubbish apart from between 2pm and 4pm on the 15th of June
if a player would rather go scotland for a few extra pennies than play in the prem, they have done us a favour because they won't have the attitude we need.
Absolutely-