Glasgow club Rangers are continuing negotiations with English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion after having a £7.5 million bid rejected for winger Amario Cozier-Duberry.
The Ibrox side remain in discussions with their Premier League counterparts despite reportedly having two separate offers turned down for the 21-year-old Englishman. Rangers identified Cozier-Duberry as one of several wide targets following the unexpected collapse of a move for PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech.
The negotiations with Brighton take place as Rangers close in on Aston Villa right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic. The Scottish club look set to sign the Serbia international defender on loan, with an obligation to buy for £3.5 million.
Cozier-Duberry has two years remaining on his contract at Brighton, where several clubs have expressed interest in acquiring him either on loan or via a permanent transfer. He featured in Brighton's pre-season preparations under new manager Fabian Hurzeler, remaining an unused substitute during their 1-0 win against Serie A club Bologna at the weekend.
Although Cozier-Duberry has yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for Brighton, he completed a successful loan spell at English League One side Bolton Wanderers last season, scoring eight goals and securing a place in the League One team of the year.
Prior to his time at Bolton, the winger spent the previous campaign on loan at Championship side Blackburn Rovers. He originally joined Brighton from North London club Arsenal, where he progressed through the youth academy system.
Rangers Manager Demands Squad Support
Rangers' push to secure new additions follows public comments from manager Derek McInnes, who admitted his squad was not good enough for the UEFA Europa League and required immediate reinforcement.
Following their exit from Europa League competition, Rangers are preparing for a UEFA Conference League playoff tie against Czech Republic side Jablonec, with the first leg scheduled at Ibrox on Thursday.
Rangers experienced a difficult opening to their season, though pressure eased following a 5-1 victory against St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday. The win marked McInnes's first victory as Rangers manager and set up a quarter-final tie against Glasgow rivals Celtic.
Old Firm Derby Build-Up and Dragojevic Impact
The cup tie against Celtic is scheduled for the weekend of September 12 and 13. It will mark the first Old Firm derby of the season, a fixture that has already generated excitement among Rangers' new summer signings.
Midfielder Vanja Dragojevic, 20, scored his first goal for Rangers since arriving from Serbian club Partizan Belgrade during Sunday's victory over St Mirren. Dragojevic lit up Ibrox with a 20-yard volley after 18 minutes from a headed clearance, doubling the lead following striker Ryan Naderi's early opening goal.
Dragojevic previously played in Serbia's fierce 'Eternal Derby' against Red Star Belgrade, but revealed teammates warned him about the atmosphere awaiting him in Scotland.
"We're really happy that this will happen," Dragojevic said. "It's too far away to think about because we have a game on Thursday, we will focus on that. But when I spoke with lots of players before I came here, everyone said this is maybe the biggest derby on earth. And maybe the craziest one - in a positive way. So I'm really happy that I have the privilege to be part of it and maybe play in it."
"I played in three or four Belgrade derbies. It was really hard and fired up. In Serbia, it's not just about the football. It's really about much more than this. But I like this. I'm really happy here and I want to have the privilege to play in this one," he added.
"I enjoy it here. This is a great country, with great people. I'm surprised how warm the people are here. When I came to the club it was so easy to adapt. Everyone in the city is so nice. I'm feeling really happy here. I'm looking forward to doing everything I can for this club."
Reflecting on his goal against St Mirren, which he described as the best of his career so far, Dragojevic emphasized the importance of securing a team victory after a difficult start.
"There was a great atmosphere, the fans were great. It was incredible. But the most important thing was that I helped the team to win. We needed a win like this because we had a tough time in the last few games. We didn't get what we deserved," Dragojevic said.
"We did everything good on the training pitch to be better every day. But in the games, it's been tough for us. Maybe we needed more confidence. Sunday's game has given us this."
