Rangers 'strong' Jose Cordoba transfer interest revealed as suitors clamour for bargain amid price drop

Rangers reportedly hold a "strong" interest in Levski Sofia defender Jose Cordoba as he approaches the final 12 months of his contract.

The Panama international is in-demand this summer according to reports in his homeland, with Philippe Clement's side said to be among the chasing pack as they look to strengthen the heart of the backline for next season. Leon Balogun is out of contract this summer while Ben Davies has struggled to impress since the arrival of the Belgian after being hampered by injury. Connor Goldson struggled for form before injury brought an end to his season and is on Al-Ettifaq's wishlist this summer.

John Souttar has been the mainstay of the backline for the title run-in – and it appears Clement and director of football Nils Koppen are keen to add to the centre-back options this summer. Panamanian sports outlet El Marcador TV report 22-year-old Cordoba is on the agenda – with Sofia willing to cash in this summer before his deal expires in 2025.

South American transfer insider Jose Miguel Dominguez joked that "half of Europe" is chasing the star as he named Rangers among the chasing pack. He saidL “Jose Cordoba, he doesn’t travel here, he doesn’t travel there. Suitors here, suitors there.

"There is strong interest from Scottish club Rangers. We also already know about Besiktas and teams from France, but there are other teams from Turkey too. Half of Europe sees Cordoba because it has huge potential and because he is so young.

"He is a leader and he was the best central defender in the Bulgarian league this season. And this says a lot about a footballer who is going for more. We understand he is rated around €2-3m (£1.7m-2.5m) and this is quite an affordable figure for teams."