Rangers are keen to take Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo to Ibrox during the summer transfer window. Michael Beale is aware of the left-sided central defender and has placed him on his radar.
The Glasgow giants are keen to sign the player who is currently on loan at Coventry, according to the Daily Record. He has spent the 2022/23 campaign at the Coventry Building Society Stadium and has showcased his class.
Panzo was added to the Forest ranks in the January 2022 transfer window. He signed from Dijon in France, with Steve Cooper adding a player from his Under-17 World Cup-winning squad.
First-team football was hard to come by at the City Ground for Panzo, however. He started just once and that came in a dead rubber on the final day of the campaign away at Hull City.
Beale will be keen to stamp his own authority on the Rangers squad in the summer. The Teddy Bears are some way behind Celtic in the title race this season and that simply won’t do.
The head coach has made a personal check on Panzo this season. Now, he’s keen to raid Forest to take the central defender to Scotland ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Beale knows the Forest man extremely well. The Rangers boss was working with the academy at Chelsea when Panzo was coming through the ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Rangers keen to take Forest defender Panzo to Ibrox
This one wouldn’t make a great deal of sense unless Forest fail in their quest to remain in the Premier League. Even then, the Reds would be wise to just loan Panzo out for now.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a sound campaign at Coventry. There, he’s drawn some praise from his boss, Mark Robins, who has called him ‘outstanding’ during the season.
In total, he’s made 28 appearances for the Sky Blues. He’s been operating as a left-sided option in a three-man central defensive unit and it’s a role that he clearly relishes.
Forest would be wise not to let Panzo go permanently just yet. He has time on his side to continue improving and as a result, the Reds should only consider a loan in the summer.