Bilal Brahimi during his time at Middlesbrough (Getty Images)
According to claims from French outlet Foot Mercato (h/t Glasgow Live), Rangers are keeping a close eye on Stade Reims winger Bilal Brahimi, who is currently out on loan at Le Mans in the French third-tier.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign at Le Mans, contributing with 6 goals and 2 assists in 16 appearances for the club so far this season. As per the report, Brahimi’s rich vein of form has caught the eye of the Ibrox scouts but the Gers face stiff competition from several clubs in the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1.
It has been claimed that Stuttgart, Lens and various Italian sides have been regularly sending their scouts to monitor the attacking midfielder as he continues to impress in his loan spell. The report, however, doesn’t mention whether Rangers are weighing up a move for the youngster in January or next summer.
Born in Paris, Bilal Brahimi joined Middlesbrough in 2018 after progressing through the youth ranks of Leixoes in the Portuguese second-tier. He represented Boro across various age-group levels but made only a solitary first-team appearance against Rochdale in the EFL Cup.
The youngster eventually returned to his homeland with Reims in 2019 and spent the 2019-20 campaign with the club’s reserve side in the fourth-tier, scoring 5 goals in 20 appearances.
Brahimi joined third-tier outfit Le Mans on loan this past summer and has made a positive impression so far, with his exploits drawing interest from several clubs higher up the pyramid.
Bilal Brahimi has shown glimpses of his potential on loan at Le Mans in the French third-tier but he still remains completely unproven at the highest level. The 20-year-old needs to prove his credentials on a bigger platform to convince Rangers that he is, indeed, deserving of a move to Ibrox.
Steven Gerrard hasn’t been afraid to throw the youngsters into the mix if they are genuinely good enough to do a job for the club. Calvin Bassey came through the door in the summer without having made a single competitive appearance for Leicester City but has thrived north of the border.
Taking a punt on Brahimi, to that end, wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea for Rangers. But with the Gers currently well-stocked in the attacking midfield and wide attacking departments, they can afford to bide their time before making an approach for the Frenchman.
The youngster clearly needs more regular game time to continue his development, something that would be better served if he stays put in his homeland, at least, for the time being.
Suffice to say, Rangers should continue to monitor the progress of Bilal Brahimi at close quarters in the coming months before deciding on whether to firm up their interest in the 20-year-old.
Brahimi has shown obvious signs of promise but with Gerrard already having a lot of talent at his disposal, the Gers need not go berserk in their pursuit of the French starlet in January.