Rangers’ Dragojevic pursuit hinges on second Partizan transfer saga

Partizan Belgrade have confirmed they are in talks over the sale of a second key player, with Rangers pushing hard to land £4.5million-rated defender Vanja Dragojevic. The Serbian club say the clock is “ticking” on their summer business as they weigh up whether one, or even two, of their prized assets could leave before the transfer window shuts.

Rangers boss Derek McInnes is understood to be keen on the 20-year-old and has already lodged a bid worth £3.8million to bring him to Ibrox, according to the Daily Record. Partizan, however, are said to be holding out for closer to £4.8million before sanctioning the move to Glasgow.

Ferguson interest unaffected by Dragojevic pursuit

Any deal for Dragojevic will not derail Rangers’ separate interest in Partizan midfielder Lewis Ferguson, with the Ibrox club continuing to monitor his situation regardless of how the defensive transfer develops. The two pursuits are running in parallel rather than competing for the same funds.

Complicating matters further for Partizan is significant interest from Italy in Ognjen Ugrešić, Dragojevic’s midfield partner and a teenage talent who has caught the eye of several Serie A sides. Bologna, the club where Ferguson currently plays, are among those keen on the young Serbian, according to the Daily Record.

Partizan admit ‘time is running out’

With their league campaign due to begin inside a fortnight, Partizan’s transfer chief Radosav Petrovic admitted the club must be ready to move quickly if either Dragojevic or Ugrešić departs this summer. Speaking to Sportinjo, he said the club were preparing contingency plans but would not be rushed into premature decisions.

“We are waiting, there are some developments, but nothing concrete is happening,” Petrovic said. “If one of the two leaves, we will react, we are already preparing some things. We want to harmonise the wishes of the coaching staff with the club’s capabilities. We are analysing everything, time is running out, but we will not rush. We will react when opportunities open up on the transfer market.”

Rangers already busy in the market

Rangers have already been active this summer, with five fresh faces arriving at Ibrox. Lawrence Shankland signed before McInnes took charge, while Ben Godfrey, Dan Neil, Ross McCrorie and Ivor Pandur have all followed him through the door since.

Should Rangers meet Partizan’s asking price for Dragojevic, it would represent another significant outlay for a squad McInnes is clearly reshaping ahead of the new campaign. The Ibrox club will be hoping the Serbian side’s need to react quickly to any departures works in their favour as negotiations continue.

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