NafisaRangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande is reportedly on the verge of leaving Ibrox, with Turkish side Corum FK closing in on a deal for the Ivory Coast international.
The 24-year-old has two years remaining on his Rangers contract but could now bring his time in Glasgow to an end as Derek McInnes continues to reshape his squad.
According to The Rangers Review, Corum have shown serious interest in Diomande and are prepared to pay a fee in the region of £4.5million to secure his services.
Diomande is understood to have made his final appearance for the Light Blues in Sunday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox.
His impending departure would represent another significant change to McInnes’ midfield, with the Rangers boss already bringing in several new options during the summer transfer window.
Diomande set to leave Rangers after 122 appearances
Diomande initially joined Rangers from FC Nordsjaelland on a loan-to-buy arrangement and gradually became an important member of the squad.
The midfielder has gone on to make 122 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals during his time at Ibrox.
He was involved in Rangers’ opening three matches of the new campaign, featuring in the 1-1 draw against Dundee United before playing in the Europa League defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok.
He then started Sunday’s Premiership clash with Hibernian, although Rangers suffered another frustrating result as Callum Wright’s late deflected strike condemned McInnes’ side to a 2-1 defeat.
If the Turkish move progresses as expected, that will prove to have been Diomande’s final appearance in a Rangers shirt.
The timing is significant because McInnes has already begun putting his own stamp on the midfield.
McInnes has already strengthened midfield
Rangers have added Dan Neil, Cammy Devlin and Vanja Dragojevic during the summer, giving McInnes considerably more options in the centre of the pitch.
With those additions in place, Diomande’s potential departure would allow the manager to further reshape the squad while also bringing in a sizeable transfer fee.
The Ivorian’s exit would also create additional room for the club to pursue players in other areas that McInnes believes require strengthening.
The Rangers boss made it clear after the Hibs defeat that there is still plenty of work to be done before the transfer window closes.
“Clearly, we could do it with certain players in certain areas, helping us out,” McInnes said.
The manager highlighted the encouraging performance of Olwethu Makhanya, who completed his first 90 minutes since May, but insisted that Rangers still need reinforcements.
Rangers still looking for more signings
McInnes’ comments suggest that Diomande’s potential departure is unlikely to be the final piece of business at Ibrox this summer.
The Rangers boss has been particularly keen to strengthen his wide areas, with Daisuke Yokota still adapting to his new surroundings and the club continuing to look for another natural option on the right.
“I think Daisuke [Yokota] is showing moments,” McInnes explained.
“Obviously, we’re still trying to bring in another wide-right player as well, if we can, to share that burden with him.”
The manager believes having a specialist player capable of operating naturally in that position will be important for Rangers as the season progresses.
“But having a natural player on that side and somebody who wants to play there, I think, will be key for us.”
That could make the money generated from Diomande’s sale particularly useful.
Rangers have already been linked with several attacking targets this summer, while McInnes also wants further defensive reinforcements.
McInnes wants Rangers stronger before deadline day
The Rangers manager knows his squad cannot afford to remain static following a difficult opening to the campaign.
A draw against Dundee United was followed by defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Europe before Hibs inflicted another 2-1 loss at Ibrox.
The results have increased the pressure on Rangers to strengthen, particularly with Celtic and other rivals already making strong starts.
McInnes insists the club are working hard behind the scenes to address the weaknesses in his squad.
“So, it is important that we try and make signings, but the club has worked hard on that,” he said.
“I think it’s important that we come out of the window as strong as we possibly can.”
That could mean a busy final stretch to the transfer window for the Light Blues.
Diomande’s impending move to Corum would provide Rangers with another opportunity to refresh the squad, while the reported £4.5million fee could give McInnes additional funds to target the players he believes are better suited to his system.
For Diomande, meanwhile, the move would bring an end to a lengthy spell at Ibrox.
Having made more than 120 appearances for Rangers, his departure would mark another significant change to the squad as McInnes attempts to build a team capable of competing on multiple fronts.
And with Corum now seemingly pushing to complete the deal, the midfielder’s Rangers career could be heading towards its final chapter.
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