Rangers seal Deadline Day transfer as West Ham accept €23m offer

Robin Bairner

• 1 Sept 2025 08:31 BST
• 3 min read

News

Rangers are poised to sign a 13th player this summer, with everything falling into place for a Deadline Day deal to be done.

Russell Martin eased some of the pressure that had been building on his shoulders with a scoreless home draw against Celtic on Sunday, yet the new Ibrox manager remains under intense pressure after winning only three of his first 11 games in charge.

The Gers did turn in an improved display in the Old Firm clash, but the Glasgow giants still expect to add to their number before the close of the transfer window.

Marseille’s Canada international defender Derek Cornelius is poised to hook up with the Ibrox side in the hours ahead, with the Ligue 1 side having already reached a transfer agreement for the replacement of the 27-year-old.

OM are poised to sign 29-year-old Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd from West Ham. FootMercato reports that an agreement has been made with the English side for a deal worth €23 million.

The spin-off of this agreement is that Cornelius is freed up to join Rangers. The former Vancouver Whitecaps star made a farewell appearance for OM in a 1-0 defeat to Lyon on Sunday, coming off the bench as Roberto De Zerbi’s side unsuccessfully tried to cling on to a point after CJ Egan-Riley had been sent-off in the first half.

Compared

Nayef Aguerd

D (C)

West Ham

Nayef Aguerd

D (C)

West Ham

VS

Derek Cornelius

D (CL)

Marseille

Derek Cornelius

D (CL)

Marseille

€16.8M	ETV	€4.7M
€15.1M - €18.5M	ETV Range	€3.8M - €5.7M
29 years old (30 Mar, 1996)	Age	27 years old (25 Nov, 1997)
Morocco	Nationality	Canada

Bought by Marseille from Malmo last summer for a fee of €4m, he will move to Rangers via a loan agreement, L’Equipe reports.

For Martin and the Gers, his arrival will be invaluable as they attempt to get their season going following Champions League elimination and a disappointing four draws from their opening four Premiership matches.

Why type of player is Derek Cornelius?

Cornelius is a centre-back who is best known for his position, bravery in possession and passing, making him an ideal defender for Martin’s possession-based system.

He will arrive at a Rangers side in crisis, and given the struggles of Martin’s other summer signings to make an immediate impact, will come under immediate scrutiny.

A year of playing in the powderkeg atmosphere that is Marseille, though, should prepare him well for what's ahead.

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