It is fair to say that Max Aarons has not had the start to life at Glasgow Rangers that he had hoped for after his move to Ibrox on loan from Bournemouth earlier this summer.
The former Norwich City man, who trained with Russell Martin in East Anglia, was recently sent off in the 6-0 loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League, and was an unused substitute in the 0-0 draw with Celtic.
Aarons also failed to create a single ‘big chance’ or win any aerial duels in his first three starts in the Scottish Premiership since his switch from Bournemouth, per Sofascore.
Rangers eyeing up late move for new right-back
The club may be concerned by the English defender’s early outings for the Light Blues, because they are now looking at a late move for a player in his position.
According to Tutto Mercato Web, Glasgow Rangers are lining up a last-minute deadline day deal to sign Lecce right-back Frederic Guilbert today.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are on his trail and that they could face competition from Spanish side Sevilla, who have also shown interest in recent days.
It adds that a move to Ibrox could be on the horizon for the £22k-per-week talent, but it does not reveal whether it would be a loan or permanent transfer.
What Frederic Guilbert could bring to Rangers
The experienced defender could arrive at Ibrox as an instant upgrade on Aarons in the right-back position for Martin, providing him with a defensively solid alternative to James Tavernier.
As aforementioned, Aarons has had an incredibly disappointing start to the season since his loan switch from the Cherries, and Guilbert could come in to offer more solidity in that area of the park.
The 30-year-old defender started 31 times in the Serie A for Lecce in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, and his performances in Italy suggest that he could be an upgrade for Rangers.
|
Stats |
Guilbert (24/25 Serie A) |
Aarons (25/26 Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
31 |
3 |
|
Crosses per game |
0.6 |
0.0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
3.6 |
3.0 |
|
Clearances per game |
3.2 |
0.7 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.3 |
0.0 |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
58% |
0% |
|
Duels won per game |
4.8 |
4.0 |
As you can see in the table above, Guilbert’s displays in the Italian top-flight were far more impressive, particularly defensively, than Aarons’ have been so far in the Premiership this season.
Aarons only played 209 minutes in the Premier League and LaLiga for Bournemouth and Valencia combined last season, as both teams decided that he was not good enough to play regular football in either division or country.
Whereas, Guilbert started 31 times in the Serie A, another major European league, and showcased his defensive quality, which suggests that he could come in and offer more experience and defensive nous in the right-back position as an upgrade for Martin’s backline.
