Latest news with #MaxAarons
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Aarons opens up on Rangers transfer as new man tells fans 'I'm ready to go' after Celtic clash scouting mission
Rangers new boy Max Aarons says he's ready to thrive in an Ibrox pressure pot. The 25-year-old sealed a season-long loan deal from Bournemouth to become gaffer Russell Martin's first signing. Aarons had other offers this summer but admits the lure of Rangers was too strong to turn down. Advertisement READ MORE: Max Aarons sees Rangers transfer applauded by James Tavernier's brother plus 8 more VIP names READ MORE: I'm an ex Rangers star who conned a referee to get my arch Celtic rival sent off as payback Especially as it means a reunion with Martin and his assistant Matt Gill, who helped to nurture his talent at Norwich City. Aarons insists he's fit and can't wait to start life in Glasgow. He's well aware of the pressure that comes with being an Old Firm player. But the full-back is adamant that's when he's at his best. He said: 'I'm ready. I stepped up my training even though I was on holiday. So I've come in and I'm fit and ready to go. Advertisement 'I've watched the SPFL over the years, especially the Old Firm games. 'Any game with Rangers involved is a huge one and I can't wait to take in Ibrox, the fans, the whole thing. 'I definitely felt walking through the doors here the weight of the shirt and what it means to everyone. 'There's pressure, for sure. But I was speaking with one of my family members and said the pressure of playing for a club this size is something that really excites me. 'I feel like I play my best when I have that. I can't wait.' Aarons revealed that as soon as Rangers were on his radar, there was nowhere else he wanted to go. Advertisement The former England Under-21 star, who was on loan at Valencia last term in La Liga, says Martin's influence was vital in the deal. Rangers head coach Russell Martin and Max Aarons He said: 'As soon as you know a club like this - with the size of it - is interested it's always going to be at the forefront of your mind. 'Linking up with the manager who has come here, and knowing what this club is capable of - that was huge for me as well. 'The manager and Matt were huge influences but first, it was the size of this club - that was the main thing in coming here. 'Those two believe in me and, initially I believe, kickstarted my career at such a young age. Advertisement 'Hopefully now we can build on that here and have a really strong season. 'Having that trust from the coaches right away coming in here was important to me. 'Having a relationship with a coach and knowing how they work is huge for any player so it was massive. 'Along with the size of this club, everything just matched up perfectly.' Sporting director Kevin Thelwell and Rangers head coach Russell Martin pose with new signing Max Aarons. -Credit:Rangers FC Martin hailed the signing of Aarons as he launched his Rangers rebuild after being appointed as the club's new boss. He said: 'Max is a player who I have always kept a keen eye on since he was emerging through the youth ranks while I was coming to the end of my time at Norwich as a player. Advertisement "He is a wonderfully talented player who is hungry to develop, improve and help deliver success for his side. 'We are pleased to bring him on board for this season, and I believe he will be a fantastic addition to the squad.' Meanwhile, Gers sporting director Kevin Thelwell said: 'We are delighted to bring Max to Rangers on a season-long loan. "He is a player who has been on the radar of many clubs in recent years and, at only 25, he has experienced a lot in the game while also having plenty of room for development. 'We are excited for Max to join up with the squad for pre-season and believe he will be an important asset for the team in this upcoming campaign.' Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers are miles behind the eight ball and things could get worse before they get better
How concerned should Rangers fans be that Max Aarons is their only signing so far? KEITH JACKSON: They're going to have to be patient this summer. Rangers are miles behind the eight ball, largely because the American takeover took longer to complete than expected. At the risk of sounding boring, it may get worse before it gets better for the long suffering Ibrox support. It certainly won't get sorted in one transfer window. Advertisement SCOTT McDERMOTT: Time is certainly getting away from them. There is so much work for Martin to do in terms of a squad overhaul but they'd have expected to be further ahead by now. It feels like it's going to be a really difficult start to the new campaign. CRAIG SWAN: Rangers are not a quick fix. It would be more concerning for fans if players were just being rushed through the door. Taking time and getting it right for the long term is more important. READ MORE: Metinho still on Rangers transfer radar as Gers 'ready' to up the ante in bid to land Brazilian youngster READ MORE: I asked Sir David Murray something straight out about Rangers 15 years ago and we haven't spoken since – Keith Jackson Advertisement GAVIN BERRY: It reminds me a bit of Celtic's summer when Ange Postecolgou came in - they were undercooked and came a cropper against FC Midtjylland. Rangers really need to get a move on. Do you think now is the right time for Celtic to cash in on Nicolas Kuhn? KEITH: Yes. Kuhn has bags of talent and will fetch a huge fee because of it but there are concerns over his mentality. It's no coincidence that he dropped out of Celtic's starting XI around the time Brendan Rodgers was questioning the desire inside his own dressing room. It's difficult not to reach the conclusion that Kuhn put the tools down as soon as the Champions League adventure was over. SCOTT: From a certain point last season it felt like Kuhn wasn't 100% happy at Celtic. The day they won the title at Tannadice, he wanted to have a go at anyone who had criticised his performances. If there are big bids on the table, it might be time to let him go. Advertisement CRAIG: If someone is willing to pay £15 million for a player who cost a fifth of that 18 months ago, he should go. That's the model that makes Celtic so successful. GAVIN: It depends on the price. If the reported £15m is realistic then I would cash in. He has been hot for a third of his 18 months at Parkhead and there are no guarantees he'll get back to that purple patch form he showed during his blistering six months. What should Scottish Cup holders Aberdeen hope to achieve this season? KEITH: It's set to become an all out battle for third place with Hearts and Hibs - with the potential for at least one of these clubs to stake a serious claim for second spot given the scale of the work required at Ibrox this summer. Let's see where this goes but it does feel like a fascinating season to come. Advertisement SCOTT: The Dons, as well as Hearts and Hibs look like they're tooling up this term to have a real go at the Old Firm at the top end of the table, which doesn't bode well for the rest. Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack with Scottish Cup Aberdeen have to be aiming for a top four finish, target another trophy - and at least make an impact in Europe. CRAIG: To mount a serious and sustained effort to challenge or even split Celtic and Rangers. It's a tall order, but the Dons have to aim high. Taking care of the rest week-to-week is the key. GAVIN: This could be a cracker of a campaign with the Dons flush, Tony Bloom's cash injection at Hearts and the American dollars at Ibrox. While the Scottish Cup was an historic day to remember for the Dons, they lacked consistency where it matters in the league. Third place is the obvious target. Has the FIFA Club World Cup been a waste of everyone's time? KEITH: Has anyone even been paying it any attention? This whole vanity project is a grotesque money maker from the mind of a man who is fast becoming even more loathsome than his predecessor. It's beginning to feel like Gianni Infantino is Sepp Blatter on steroids. Advertisement SCOTT: I tried to ignore the criticism and get into it from the start but it's impossible. Some of the European players look shattered and it will surely have a detrimental effect on their league season. It's a FIFA cash cow, nothing else. CRAIG: It just feels about money. It could take 12 hours for the game to finish. If the cash keeps rolling into the right coffers, it appears all that counts, sadly. GAVIN: It hasn't been a total waste of time as you can see potential for something that we could enjoy. It has shown us there are quality sides outside of the Big Five leagues in Europe where many live in a Champions League bubble and think nothing exists outside of UEFA. But there has to be changes - starting with where when it is played which has led to many of the complaints.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
SIR DAVID MURRAY EXCLUSIVE: Why I'm still worried about Rangers ... and whether American owners will be able to give Russell Martin the money he needs
Sir David Murray has raised doubts about 49ers Enterprises giving Rangers the rapid investment they need - and says he 'worries' about the club failing to reach next season's Champions League. The former Rangers owner told Mail Sport that he doubts the entire £20million outlay being touted by the club's new owners will be available for players and said he was yet to see evidence of bold work to give new manager Russell Martin the 'tools' he needs. He said: 'In the short term, I would judge them on the first three sales and the first three financial signings they make, because that will give you an indication of direction of travel. So, who have they signed so far? A loan player from Bournemouth (Max Aarons), who's not played a lot of football, but who Russell Martin knew from Norwich. 'I hope they give Martin the tools. I'm not sure they've paid off all the players they've got. Because you don't buy a player for £6m and pay it right away - it's over three years or something. So do they still have debts to pay? Instead of £20m, is that going for new players or is that just going in the books?' Rangers are yet to cash in on any players in this window and have limited their business so far to 25-year-old right-back Aarons, who started just two games on loan at Valencia after his move there last January. He has had only 14 Premier League starts for Bournemouth since August 2023. Rangers are also looking at Leicester City 's 32-year-old Conor Coady. Murray said he welcomed the arrival of new US owners. 'I don't think it's going to be an overnight change,' he said. 'They're true business people who will take a view and take time. They'll have a proper business plan. This'll not be a three-month plan. It'll be a five-year-plan. The way I ran a football club, you couldn't run it like that today.' The club's business model has always been built around Champions League revenues and Murray expressed concern about the tricky tie Martin has been handed against Panathinaikos in the second qualifying round, including having to play the second leg in Greece. 'I'm worried they haven't got the best draw in the Champions League against Panathinaikos with the first game at home,' he said. 'You always want the second game at home, when you know what you've got to do. I think it's a very tough task.' Murray, 73, said that Rangers were missing out on some of the Scottish talent that he always wanted to make the core to the team, citing Motherwell's 18-year-old midfielder Lennon Miller, who is now on Sunderland's radar. 'I'm not trying to be arrogant but, in my day, we would have bought him by now. But Rangers haven't bought him,' said Murray. He also cited Lewis Ferguson, who was a youth player at Rangers. 'They let him go to Hamilton and then to Aberdeen,' said Murray. 'Why didn't they buy him when he went to Italy? A young, energetic player with a release value and they didn't buy him. I don't understand that.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Does arrival of 'quality' Aarons mean 'back-up role' for Tavernier?
We asked for your views on the signing of right-back Max Aarons and what his arrival could mean for Rangers captain James what some of you said:Elaine: It's a start. Russell Martin clearly has knowledge of good players down south who can come in and do a job. Personally, I don't care if it's only a loan. You never know what'll happen by the end of the Can see him playing right-back and Tavernier playing further forward or Fresh energy and different qualities. Hoping Tavernier will be used as a back-up only. Would like to see Aarons start at right-back and Ridvan Yilmaz, if he stays, at left-back. Optimistic of more fresh energy and quality coming in while ridding ourselves of the deadwood, like Robin Propper, Danilo If Tavernier gets any game time this season it should be only if Aarons can't manage for some reason. Time to move along, he's served his time but his time is While Tavernier is probably a better player going forward, he was found wanting so many times last season, especially at the back post. I hope Aarons is a more solid option at the back. Given this is our first signing under Martin and he has been brought in as a right-back, Tavernier surely can't remain as On his day Tavernier was a good servant and defender for us, but age has caught up with him and maybe he didn't have his best season last time, but he can produce something when needed. Aarons is only a loanee, who knows what can come of it if it's a really good season. Fingers crossed he doesn't have injury woes like some others. Things are now moving a bit better, let's hope the rest go through Tavernier is on his last legs, but he will be a record-breaker for a long time. Aarons sounds like he is quality. Good If Aarons adapts quickly to Scottish football, his speed and strength undoubtedly pose a threat to Tavernier. Admittedly he has not scored many goals, but he can defend and gets forward quickly. It is up to Tavernier to produce his past form to keep his place. Nicolas Raskin has the potential to become a great team captain.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Priceless at Norwich to Bournemouth outcast
In 2020, Max Aarons' manager at Norwich City, Daniel Farke, said he wouldn't sell him - even for £100m. Not so long ago, Russell Martin's first signing as Rangers boss was one of English football's hot prospects. There was even talk of Barcelona interest in the Englishman. Advertisement Three years later, the full-back was sold to Bournemouth for £7m. Now he's out on loan from the English Premier League side for a second time, having spent the latter part of last season at Valencia. But why did he fall out of favour at Bournemouth? BBC Solent's Bournemouth commentator Jordan Clark says it's a bit of a mystery. "When Bournemouth signed him from Norwich there were indications he was being brought in as successor to long-serving right-back Adam Smith," said Clark. "He was handed a spot in the starting line-up and performed well. Andoni Iraola picked him ahead of Smith until he suffered a hamstring injury. He then struggled to regain his place from Smith who was playing really well. Advertisement "Martin's Southampton then made an offer for Aarons in the summer of 2024, which was rejected by the Cherries. Clearly something happened then because we barely saw him play for Bournemouth since. "They signed Julian Araujo that same summer and Aarons slipped down the pecking order with central midfielder Lewis Cook preferred at right-back to cover when Smith and Araujo were injured last season.' "To the best of my knowledge, neither Iraola or Aarons have revealed many details as to why he slipped down the order so quickly. "He was called upon a few times last season due to injury problems before his move to Valencia and always performed really well. Advertisement "He was praised for agreeing to play 45 minutes in the FA Cup to help the Cherries on the same day he flew out to Spain to join Valencia, which shows a lot about his character and mentality. "We only saw him in a back four at Bournemouth, but given the amount of running that was demanded of him I'm sure he'd be more than capable of playing in a wing-back role at Rangers. "He's clearly a very talented player, but he just wasn't given enough of a chance to show it at the Vitality Stadium.''
