Rangers believe that they could be priced out of a deal to sign Nottingham Forest youngster Jonathan Panzo in the summer. Michael Beale wants the centre-back at Ibrox for next season, with the Glaswegian club eyeing a squad rebuild.
According to Football Insider, the Gers have scouted the player several times during the current campaign. However, signing him might not come easily for the Scottish Premiership giants.
Panzo only signed for Forest in January 2022 from Ligue 2 outfit Dijon. He played under Steve Cooper for the England under-17 team that won the World Cup and is one for the future.
During his first six months at Forest, he made just one appearance. That came during a 1-1 draw with Hull City on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign in a game that had very little riding on it.
When Forest won promotion, a loan was immediately mentioned. He joined Coventry City and he couldn’t have asked for a better club, with Mark Robins renowned for getting the best out of younger players.
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The 22-year-old has made 28 appearances for the Sky Blues. He’s not made a single appearance since February, however, with injury robbing him of a place in the team.
In the summer, a decision will be made on the future of Panzo. If Forest go down, the youngster will surely have a future at the club, with the player tailor-made for a left-sided central defensive role.
Rangers believe they could be priced out of Panzo deal
The Gers will try and sign the Forest man in the summer. However, Forest should be careful when it comes to deciding whether or not to let him leave the City Ground.
Panzo is rated highly by Cooper. He’s also earned praise this season from Robins who has called him ‘outstanding’ during the current campaign for his Coventry performances.
Beale will try desperately to close the gap on Celtic next season. This season has been a bit of a disaster and clearly defenders are on his radar ahead of next season.
Forest shouldn’t let him leave, however. They’re right to stand firm in terms of a valuation but they should only consider another loan for the centre-back if they remain a Premier League outfit.