Scottish Premiership title contenders Rangers are on the brink of unveiling their second acquisition of the summer transfer window.
Sky Sports News reports that Bournemouth defender Max Aarons completed a medical and is navigating the final steps of the paperwork prior to finalizing his transfer to Ibrox.
The former England Under-21 international joins to increase competition for James Tavernier as the Light Blues strive to perform across multiple fronts next season following a lackluster showing in the 2024/25 campaign.
Aarons featured four times for Bournemouth last season before moving on loan to Valencia in January, making five appearances for the LaLiga outfit. However, he’s still highly regarded by Russell Martin, who is well acquainted with the youngster from his playing days at Norwich City where the two briefly overlapped.
Why Rangers have made the move for Max Aarons:
Club captain James Tavernier is currently nearing the last year of his contract at Ibrox and has been strongly associated with a departure after a slight decline in performance last season. Max Aarons arrives to serve as a backup for that scenario and equally provides rivalry in both the left-back and right-back roles due to his exceptional versatility.
Aarons established his reputation at Norwich and for an extended period was considered the top young full-back in the Championship. He notably led the Canaries to two league titles in 2018/19 and 2020/21 while earning a spot in the Team of the Season on both occasions.
The 25-year-old is celebrated for his outstanding speed, endurance, and defensive insight as well as his ability to surge forward and generate opportunities for his teammates. He’s been selected 27 times for England at Under-21 level and was part of the squad that clinched the European Championship at that level in 2023.