Emmanuel Fernandez’s Rangers exit already sealed as talks begin for Akpe Victory

Emmanuel Fernandez has been heavily linked away from Rangers throughout the past few weeks.

The centre-back has been one of the few summer signings who has performed well at Ibrox this season.

Clubs such as West Ham United have been linked to the centre-back after cementing himself as a starter at Rangers.

Now, an exit may be close as talks have reportedly begun for the club to sign Akpe Victory.

Victory could well be a direct replacement for Fernandez, pushing him closer to an Ibrox exit.

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According to Ben Jacobs via X on 15 May, Rangers have now opened talks to sign Victory.

The 19-year-old centre-back currently plays for Zalaegerszegi in Hungary and has heavily impressed.

This has caught the attention of multiple clubs around Europe, including Benfica, who have also made an approach.

£4.35million is believed to be enough to secure his services, with Victory making 15 league appearances this campaign.

Given the potential cost of signing the defender, it seems likely that he will become an instant first-teamer at Rangers.

🚨 Exclusive: Rangers in talks to buy Akpe Victory from Zalaegerszegi.

19-years old Nigerian centre-back has been tracked by clubs in Germany, Spain and France.

He has made 15 appearances this season scoring once.

Benfica are the other club to have made an approach, but… pic.twitter.com/4dqa7szQe6

Therefore, with Fernandez being linked away, it seems inevitable that Victory will replace the defender in the line-up for the 2026-27 campaign if the deal goes through.

The 19-year-old will be seen as a player that Danny Rohl could develop into a star in the Scottish Premiership, and potentially sell on for a big profit in the coming summers.

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Rangers are set to demand £20m for Fernandez this summer transfer window.

It remains to be seen if any clubs are willing to pay that much for the defender, considering he has only played one season of top-flight football.

On top of West Ham, Arsenal are also linked with a move in the summer for the 24-year-old.

Fernandez moved to Ibrox from League One side Peterborough United in the summer and was voted into the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season.

However, with Rangers now set to miss out on Champions League qualification, it remains to be seen if this will affect the potential sale of the defender, whose future looks increasingly doubtful as the weeks go on.

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