Rangers are poised to complete their seventh signing of the transfer window, with Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane set to arrive at Ibrox.
According to FootMercato in France, a deal between Rangers, AS FAR and the player has now been completed, with the “officialisation” of the transfer to be announced in the coming hours.
Igamane will take Rangers’ incomings up to seven for the summer transfer window, with deals for Mohamed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, Jefte, Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala and Connor Barron already completed.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has made no secret of his desire to strengthen all areas of his squad and has now turned his attention to his forward line. Igamane, 21, is a Moroccan Under-23 internationalist who has spent his whole career with AS FAR in his homeland.
Rangers only have Cyriel Dessers and Danilo as senior options at striker, with Dessers linked with a move to Greek side PAOK in the past week. Igamane’s arrival would give Clement more options ahead of the season starting early next month.
Former Hibs playmaker and Moroccan Merouane Zemmama believes it would be something of a coup should Rangers land Igamane given he has admirers across Europe and Morocco are due to play at the Olympics later this month in Paris.
“Morocco have qualified for the Olympics and if they do well it’s inevitable their players will be watched by bigger clubs,” Zemmama said. “If Hamza plays in the Olympics and does well, the valuation of him will change dramatically. It could turn out that Rangers have done some really clever business by signing him now.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is a big thing in Morocco. This is the first time the country have ever qualified in the last three competitions.
“Hamza was in the squad for the African Under-23 Cup of Nations last year.He went on as a sub in the semi-final, which was played in his club Far Rabat’s stadium, but he got injured, had to be substituted and missed the final.
“But Morocco still went on to win the trophy and qualify for the Olympics. After they won the cup the squad were presented to King Mohammed VI to be congratulated.
“The squad going to the Olympics hasn’t been named yet, but I’d be surprised if Hamza isn’t in it.”
Zemmama believes Igamane will be a success at Rangers, adding in an interview with the Scottish Sun: “Hamza going to Scotland has been big news in Morocco. Many players from here go to France and Belgium, but going to Scotland has been very interesting here.
“Rangers are a massive club on the European stage, so it’s good for football here that a club like that has scouted one of our young players and signed him. I believe Hamza will succeed in Scotland. He’s a player who is going to be ideal for the style of football.
“I work at a football club and after the transfer was done, the coaches there were asking me how I thought he would do in Scotland. But I genuinely think he will do well there.
“Hibs fans — the ones who are old enough — will recall I was a smaller player who tried to use skill. But Hamza is a big, strong guy who will be ready for the physical side of football that exists in Scotland. That won’t worry him at all.
“He has good technique for a striker, but he’s a powerful boy and he’ll actually be looking forward to testing himself against the kind of hard defenders that you have in Scotland.
“He’s scored goals for Far and also for the Under-23 team. He hasn’t played for the full national team yet, but the squad is very strong. Morocco finished fourth at the World Cup in 2022. But the coach, Walid Regragui, has spoken about Igamane and how he has got him in his plans for the future.
“I’m excited to see how he’s going to do. I always watch the results in Scotland because I had good years of my playing career there.”
