Carrick Rangers are ready to break the bank on keen Champions League star Hugo Siquet, but there is a major obstacle they need to overcome. The Gers have already made nine signings in what has been a busy summer under new boss Derek McInnes. However, an injury crisis and a terrible start to the new season mean that more recruits are necessary. On Monday, Rangers agreed a €7.6 million deal with PSV for 24-year-old winger Couhaib Driouech, who is set to arrive at Ibrox after impressing in the Champions League last year. Later that same day, reports emerged in France that McInnes was eyeing another star with experience in Europe's premier competition: Club Brugge right-back Siquet. The one-time Belgium international made a combined nine appearances in Champions League qualifying and the competition proper last year. However, he was neither a guaranteed starter in Europe nor in the Jupiler Pro League regular season. ## What happened? The 24-year-old only nailed down a regular starting spot in the playoffs as Brugge romped to their 20th league title. Because of this, the Belgian giants now view him as "untouchable," according to transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri. This is a major hurdle for Rangers, but it may not be an entirely insurmountable one. That's because Tavolieri claims that Siquet would be very keen on making the switch to Glasgow. ## Why it matters for Carrick Rangers The Belgian wanted Rangers, but Club Brugge consider him unsellable this summer. Although Rangers had an opening bid rejected, they indicated to Brugge that they would be ready to make another offer that would be "way higher," but no figures are mentioned by Tavolieri. Brugge paid €3 million to sign Siquet from Freiburg in 2024, while his current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €2.6m. Rangers would likely have to pay a significant premium to get Brugge to soften their not-for-sale stance, but he is evidently not excessively expensive. ## What comes next? At present, this deal looks a non-starter, but the situation could change if Siquet were to agitate for a move. He likely feels that he will have better chances of getting regular starting opportunities at Ibrox because he has had an up-and-down career so far. His previous spell at Bundesliga club Freiburg was a disaster as he made just four senior appearances in two and a half years and spent time on loan at Cercle Brugge. He is surely desperate to play for a club where he is an undisputed key player. ## Rangers also have a backup plan Should no deal for Siquet materialise, Rangers will likely go all in on Aston Villa youngster Kosta Nedjelkovic, who is coming off an 18-month loan spell at RB Leipzig. The Bundesliga side opted against making his stay permanent, but he's far from a lost cause. Indeed, the 20-year-old Serb is thought to have impressed Unai Emery in pre-season so far. According to Sky Sports, Rangers are in "ongoing talks" over a transfer for Nedeljkovic. The outlet does not disclose what kind of deal Rangers are looking for, but the Daily Record reported on Sunday that McInnes would ideally like to sign him permanently. League standing: 5th in Premiership, 3 pts, 1W-0D-0L from 1 games, recent form W. Goals this season: 1 scored, 0 conceded (+1 goal difference). Next fixture: vs Portadown (away, 2026-12-19) (9th in the table).