Following Glasgow Rangers’ humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Club Brugge, the 49ers have reportedly opened talks to sign a Premier League forward.
Martin apologises to fans after "painful" defeat
The pressure is increasing on Russell Martin. Some may even say that things have already reached breaking point at Ibrox. The former Southampton boss is yet to win a game in the Scottish Premiership and saw his problems extended by a Club Brugge side in no mood to offer him some kind of mercy in Belgium.
It was a disaster from the off for the Gers, who were instantly a man down when Max Aarons received his marching orders inside 10 minutes. An uphill battle was quickly made an impossible task and Club Brugge took full advantage, scoring five goals in the first half to take an 8-1 lead on aggregate before adding a sixth to hand Rangers an embarrassing 9-1 defeat.
Simply put, it could not have been worse for Martin, who could not hide his humiliation.
“To the fans, I have nothing but an apology,” said Martin. “I’m very sorry they had to witness that. It’s humiliating and it’s painful. There’s disappointment and hurt that they’ve had to go through that.
“I don’t think I’ve learnt anything new tonight, I’m just embarrassed by the defeat. It’s probably the toughest night I’ve had as a head coach. It doesn’t change the fact I think we will progress, move forward and grow.”
It doesn’t get any easier for those at Ibrox, either. A trip to face Old Firm rivals Celtic awaits this weekend in what may only compile Martin’s misery or perhaps even be the final nail in the coffin of what has been a nightmare stint in Scotland.
That said, the transfer window could still act as a crucial turning point for the Englishman amid reports that the 49ers are now “in talks” to sign a Premier League forward.
Rangers "in talks" to sign forward Chermiti
According to The Times’ Paul Joyce, the 49ers and Rangers are now “in talks” to sign Youssef Chermiti on loan from Everton this week with just days remaining of the window.
The young forward could replace Hamza Igamane, who is set to join LOSC Lille not long after refusing to come from the bench in the Gers’ last-gasp draw against St Mirren last weekend.
Replacing a talented forward like Igamane will be no easy task, but it appears that Chermiti has emerged as a leading candidate. Whilst the Everton forward has struggled with injuries during his time in the Premier League, there’s no denying that he’s still a player full of potential at 21 years old.
Praised as “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig during his time at Sporting Club, Chermiti is also represented by the same agent as Rangers’ summer arrival Thelo Aasgaard, which could make any deal far more routine.