Sources: Rangers respond to Djeidi Gassama interest, plan to raise transfer funds revealed
Rangers have no interest in entertaining a sale for Djeidi Gassama in January under any circumstances, sources have told Football Insider.
Gassama has been subject to interest from Villarreal of late, but the Gers see the winger as a player that they cannot afford to lose, as Danny Rohl views him as a key figure in his plans.
The Frenchman only arrived in Glasgow from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, and sources say that the Ibrox outfit have no plans to sell him “any time soon.”
Rangers are keen to try and sell players this winter in order to fund a squad revamp for Rohl, but it is understood to be fringe players that they are looking to move on, rather than securing potentially lucrative sales for big names.
Djeidi Gassama is a firm favourite of Danny Rohl
Rangers boss Rohl has worked with Gassama for several years now, after previously having him at his disposal across both of his campaigns in charge of Sheffield Wednesday.
The 22-year-old moved north of the border for a fee of around £2.2million in the summer, but has struggled to find consistency at times during his opening months at Ibrox.
Gassama has six goals to his name from 30 appearances so far this term, but four of those came during his team’s ill-fated Champions League qualifying campaign in the early stages of the season.
| Stats | Gassama Total | Squad Rank |
| Appearances | 16 | N/A |
| Goal Contributions | 2 | =6th |
| xG + xA per 90 | 0.39 | =4th |
| Chances Created | 16 | 3rd |
| Successful Dribbles per 90 | 2.5 | =2nd |
| Big Chances Missed | 3 | =2nd |
The wideman has now scored just once since October, but he remains a key part of Rohl’s plans.
The German has started the youngster in nine of the 12 competitive games since he took the reins, and he is a keen admirer of him as a player.
Gassama’s form may have disappointed fans at times, but Rohl still views him as a crucial part of the project that he is building at Ibrox.
Joe Rothwell has already played final Rangers game
Football Insider revealed earlier this week that Joe Rothwell is keen to lead Rangers this winter, with Sheffield United pushing to secure his signature in January.
The midfielder has featured just twice since Rohl’s arrival, and hasn’t even made a matchday squad since the win over Livingston on 22 November.
With interest from English clubs building ahead of the January window, Rothwell already looks likely to have played his final game in a Rangers shirt, despite only arriving from Bournemouth in the summer.
The 30-year-old hasn’t had the desired effect at Ibrox, and he now appears destined to become one of the fringe players who are shown the door in January.
The Rangers hierarchy will now be focused on trying to secure as high a fee as possible for the outcast star.