5 Bundesliga players Rangers could target as German transfer market assessed for bargains

The Ibrox side have done well to keep much of the squad built by Steven Gerrard together in one piece, but the Scottish champions will now have to show that they can perform off the pitch as well as Celtic, just as they have done on it.

As such, that will likely mean a lot of tireless nights in the Ibrox offices thumbing through highlights reels and scouting reports from players all over the continent that would fancy a shot at impressing in front of the Ibrox crowd.

Fortunately for Rangers, we’ve saved them a lot of trouble by picking out a number of defensive players based in Germany that would immediately improve the starting XI.

Florian Muller - Stuttgart

It seems likely that Rangers will be searching for a new goalkeeper next summer when Alan McGregor finally hangs up his gloves and they would do well to consider Stuttgart shot-stopper Florian Muller before bigger clubs catch wind of his talents in the Bundesliga.

Last season Muller was on loan at Freiburg and at the German club he undoubtedly proved to be a competent and dependable Bundesliga goalkeeper, despite only being 22 years of age.

READ MORE: 4 realistic Rangers signings as MLS scouted for bargains to 'supercharge' team

Indeed, in terms of the number of goals prevented due to their saves over the course of the season, Muller ranked sixth among his shot-stopping peers in the Bundesliga and even finished with a higher tally than Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Now back at Stuttgart, Muller has continued to develop his game and despite the club’s wavering form in the league this season, the German U21 international still sits sixth in the division for shots saved per 90 minutes. Not bad when we consider that no team in the Bundesliga has conceded more shots than Stuttgart’s defence this season.

Marvin Freidrich - Union Berlin 

A defender that Rangers should surely consider before the start of next season is Union Berlin captain Marvin Freidrich. 

The 25-year-old German talent is undoubtedly one of the best tacklers in the Bundesliga and is certainly an imposing figure in the air too. However, Freidrich is far more than a traditional defender. 

The former Germany U21 international has some of the best passing stats among his defensive peers in the German top flight and is exceptionally comfortable on the ball, as shown by his five goals and two assists for Union last season. 

With a contract that is set to expire at the end of the season and a reported salary of just £780,000 per year, Freidrich is certainly within Rangers’ wage bill range and could be tempted by a move to the Scottish giants, with one eye on a potential stint in the Premier League after.

Nico Schlotterbeck - Freiburg

When it comes to defending, few Bundesliga clubs do it as well as Christian Streich’s Freiburg side and at the heart of that defensive unit is Nico Schlotterbeck.

The Black Forest side are famous for rearing outstanding central defenders, with Matthias Ginter, Caglar Soyuncu and Robin Koch coming through the club’s doors in recent years and in Schlotterbeck the club have another outstanding young defender that could grow into a star player.

After an impressive spell on loan at Union Berlin last season, the 21-year-old defender has slotted straight into Streich’s side this season and thrived with the increased responsibility in the Freiburg back three.

So far this season the German U21 international is fourth for interceptions in the Bundesliga and top for shots blocked, which is a testament to the player’s remarkable ability to read games and cut out opposing attacks before they can strike.

Whether Schlotterbeck is already out of Rangers’ price range is a conversation the Ibrox club may have to consider, but they’d be foolish to overlook the young talent altogether.

Keanan Bennetts - Gladbach 

If Rangers are really in the market for swooping in on young talents that are out of contract and potentially offer very little financial risk for a lot of sporting reward, they may want to consider Keanan Bennets at Borussia Monchengladbach. 

The Foals scooped Bennetts up from the Tottenham Hotspur youth academy in 2018 for a mere £2 million and despite some serious injuries ruling him out for the best part of two seasons, he bounced back with an impressive loan spell at Ipswich Town in League One last season. 

Played as a winger on either flank, Bennetts has since made the step up to the Bundesliga with Gladbach’s first team this season but remains a peripheral member of Adi Hutter’s side due to the players in front of him. 

At just 22 years of age, Bennetts has plenty left to prove but has bags of potential and would likely be available for free at the end of the season, due to the fact that his contract expires next summer and Gladbach - in the midst of a huge turnover in their squad - are unlikely to be able to offer him a new deal. 

Maxim Leitsch - Bochum

If Schlotterbeck is out of Rangers’ price range then they may be better suited taking a look at young Bochum central defender Maxim Leitsch, who has somewhat flown under the radar during the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga this season.

In the German second tier, Leitsch was best known as an excellent ball-winning defender, who could sniff out opposing counter-attacks and intercept balls within an opponent’s own half. A talent that would undoubtedly come in handy for Rangers in the Premiership.

READ MORE: The Ross Wilson Rangers succession plan now set in motion to replace Steven Gerrard

Leitsch is also an impressive talent with the ball at his feet, with Bundesliga leading stats for long pass and total pass accuracy, as two assists for the club in last season’s campaign can certainly attest to.

Due to a thigh injury that he picked up at the start of the season, Leitsch has only managed to make one appearance in the Bundesliga thus far. And it’ll come as little surprise to Bochum fans that the amount of league goals they’ve conceded per game has shot up from last season’s 1.15 to a worrying 1.64 per game.

Naturally, much of that will be down to Bochum making the step up to the top flight, but there’s no doubt that the club are counting the days until Leitsch is back in Thomas Reis’ starting XI.