Glasgow Rangers secured their place in the next round of the League Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win over St. Johnstone at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The Light Blues, who continue to play their home matches away from Ibrox for now, bounced back from their Champions League disappointment by ensuring that their name is in the hat for the next round in the domestic cup.
Philippe Clement's side came into the match off the back of their 2-0 defeat to Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden on Tuesday night, which meant that they will not be playing Champions League football this year.
Earlier this month, the Belgian boss had made it clear that qualifying for the competition would have been a big boost to their efforts in the transfer market, as they would have had more funds to offer players higher wages alongside the chance to play in the Champions League.
Rangers will have European football, however, as they qualified for the group phase of the new-look Europa League, in which they will play at least eight matches.
This means that they will still have something to offer potential recruits and the Scottish giants are reportedly looking to add to their midfield ranks before the end of the window.
Rangers eyeing Premier League whiz
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues have identified Manchester United central midfielder Hannibal Mejbri as a target for Clement this month.
The summer transfer window slams shut at the end of August and this means that the Gers have less than two weeks to wrap up the remainder of their deals.
This looks to be a transfer that will be difficult for the Ibrox giants to complete for a number of reasons, though. Firstly, the Premier League side are only prepared to let him go on a permanent deal, which rules out a loan or a loan with an option or obligation to buy for Rangers.
Secondly, Football Insider claims that Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic, who do have Champions League football on offer, are also willing to hijack the club's pursuit of Hannibal, which could provide tough competition for his signature.
Lastly, it has previously been reported that Manchester United are looking for a fee in the region of £7m to part ways with the Tunisia international, which means that the Gers would have to splash out a significant fee to secure his services.
If Nils Koppen and Philippe Clement can overcome these hurdles to bring Hannibal to Glasgow, the 21-year-old ace could be an exciting player to partner Mohammed Diomande in midfield.
What Mohammed Diomande brings to Rangers
The Ivory Coast international joined the Light Blues on a permanent deal this summer after he had spent the second half of last term on loan from Danish side FC Nordsjælland.
He caught the eye in his first five months at Ibrox with some impressive displays in the middle of the park for Clement's side, showing off his quality in and out of possession in the Premiership.
The 22-year-old maestro is a dynamic midfielder who combines athleticism and duel-winning with creativity and drive on the ball to help his side to progress up the pitch.
Appearances
13
Goals
2
Assists
0
Key passes per game
1.5
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.3
Duel success rate
52%
As you can see in the table above, Diomande immediately adapted to the physicality of the Premiership by winning more duels than he lost in his 13 appearances.
The central midfielder was also unfortunate to end the campaign without an assist to his name as he created 20 chances for his teammates, with 1.5 key passes per game, but his teammates let him down in front of goal.
Diomande finally landed his first league assist for Rangers at the start of this season, teeing up Cyriel Dessers in the recent 2-1 win over Motherwell.
However, the Ivorian star has created two 'big chances' in two appearances in the Premiership this term and only been rewarded with one assist, which suggests that his teammates have still let him down slightly at the top end of the pitch.
The signing of Hannibal this month could provide the team with another big source of creativity to help to break down opposition defences, alongside Diomande's defence-splitting passes.
What Hannibal Mejbri could bring to Rangers
The young starlet is coming off the back of a frustrating season. He scored one goal in five Premier League outings for Manchester United and was then sent out on loan to Sevilla, where he made six appearances in LaLiga and failed to register a single goal contribution.
That should not put off Gers supporters, though, as that campaign came after his impressive performances on loan with Birmingham in the English Championship.
It was his first full season of regular first-team football and it allowed the central midfielder to showcase his creativity in possession and his desire to battle off the ball.
Starts
21
Goals
1
Assists
5
Big chances created
6
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, Hannibal provided Birmingham with plenty of quality when it came to breaking down defences with his passing, whilst also making multiple defensive interventions each match.
The 21-year-old ace ranked within the top 7% of Championship midfielders for assists per 90 (0.23) and the top 10% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.18), which shows that he was one of the most creative players in his position in the division.
His creativity was also on display at academy level for Manchester United. The Rangers target produced six goals and 17 assists in 41 matches for the club's U21 team before his breakthrough at first-team level.
Hannibal, who was once described as an "absolute baller" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could come in at Ibrox (Hampden) and catch the eye – as Diomande has – with his fantastic creative and combative displays in midfield.
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The Light Blues scrapped past St Johnstone in the League Cup on Saturday
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The United youngster and Diomande could combine to create an exciting pairing in the middle of the park with their qualities in and out of possession, with the tenacious Connor Barron then being deployed at the base of the three.
