Former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed he attempted to sign Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen during his time at Ibrox.
Maatsen, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund and set to play in the Champions League final, impressed on loan at Coventry City during the 2021/22 season.
Speaking to RTL7 (translated by Daily Record), van Bronckhorst admitted, “He was still on my list for Rangers. I was very charmed by him and wanted to bring him to Ibrox.”
“That didn’t work out in the end,” van Bronckhorst continued, “but he’s a player with a lot of drive, who always looks forward and is also becoming stronger defensively. He scores goals and that’s certainly very nice to watch.”
The missed transfer appears particularly costly in hindsight. Maatsen played a key role in Burnley’s Championship title win last season, contributing four goals and six assists in 42 appearances.
Rangers opted to bring in Turkish international Ridvan Yilmaz during the summer of 2022. While Yilmaz has become a fan favorite recently, his time at Ibrox has been inconsistent.