By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Scottish Premiership club Rangers have reportedly opened talks with representatives of Emmanuel Fernandez, the Nigeria-eligible defender currently at Peterborough United, as they look to bolster their defense ahead of the new season.
Fernandez is seen by Rangers manager Russell Martin as an ideal candidate to fill the void left by Leon Balogun, who recently left the club after his contract expired at Aris Limassol.
According to FootballInsider, Rangers aim to complete the transfer soon so Fernandez can join the squad for pre-season preparations.
The 23-year-old centre-back had attracted interest from Norwich City during the January transfer window but stayed at Peterborough, where he featured prominently throughout the 2024–25 campaign.
Fernandez made 42 appearances in all competitions, starting 39 matches, demonstrating his importance to the League One side.
Despite signing a contract extension in 2024 that keeps him at Peterborough until June 2027, the club are open to sanctioning his move, provided the terms meet their expectations.
Negotiations are ongoing, and further updates are expected in the coming days.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
