Rabbi Matondo moved to the German second-tier team last month, and Gers will be aiming to trigger the purchase clause.
Rangers fans were thrilled to see Rabbi Matondo leave the Ibrox last month, but the recruitment staff may have to try to unload the Wales winger all over again in the summer unless his new club gets their act together.
The Light Blues will already have to pay a fee for the 24-year-old misfit, with German club Hannover 96 offering to pay £1 million for a player who cost roughly £3 million when bought under previous Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst in 2022. However, the Ibrox club claimed it was an initial loan deal, with German media outlet BILD suggesting at the time that any permanent transfer would be contingent on promotion to the Bundesliga.
And Rangers could be casting a nervous look towards the German second tier between now and the end of the season if Hannover’s current form is anything to go by. Matondo made a flying start to life at his new club with a late leveller in a 2-2 draw against then leaders Hamburg. But that was the first of four draws in a row, the latest a frustrating goalless stalemate against Kaiserslautern.
Matondo was hooked just after the hour mark by boss Andre Breitenreiter as his side dropped to eighth in Bundesliga 2. And it’s tight with just six points separating the top nine teams in the race for the two automatic promotion spots and third place for a promotion play-off place.
The Wales winger is under contract at Ibrox until 2026, and Rangers will be desperate for Hannover to activate their purchase clause, with the alternative being the player returning for the final season of his contract and a likely drop in valuation, with BILD reporting that the Germans would be unable to fund the agreed-upon package unless they were in the top flight.
Matondo made only 67 appearances for Rangers and, after joining Hannover, said: “It’s a big club with an exciting team and really good conditions – just looking at the stadium. I’m really looking forward to playing here. I’m very motivated to do my part to ensure that we have a really successful second half of the season and are in the race for the top spots until the end.”
