Rangers in stunning £4m swoop for wonderkid dubbed ‘the Brazilian Paul Pogba’ and could sign him before new boss arrives

Rangers are eyeing a £4 million move for Basel midfielder Metinho, with the 22-year-old reportedly a top target for the club’s incoming American ownership group.

Metinho, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Rio de Janeiro, has earned comparisons to Paul Pogba and is currently under contract with French club Troyes, part of the City Football Group. After moving to Europe from Fluminense at 17, he had a loan spell at Sparta Rotterdam before joining Swiss leaders Basel on loan in January.

His strong performances in Switzerland have drawn attention from several English Championship clubs. However, Rangers’ incoming leaders, 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh, are keen to secure his signature before others, even though they’ve yet to appoint a new manager.

Metinho, once called up to train with Brazil’s national team at 16, is entering the final year of his contract with Troyes. The French side are likely to sell him now rather than risk losing him for free next year.

The new Rangers leadership sees smart recruitment and value-focused signings like Metinho as crucial to challenging Celtic long-term. They believe capturing the talented midfielder would signal their ambition and set a strong tone for their tenure, which officially begins next month.