Official | Hamza Igamane joins Lille from Rangers | OneFootball

Lille OSC have confirmed the signing of Hamza Igamane (22) from Rangers on a deal lasting until 2030.

Igamane had been Lille’s priority target this summer as they looked to replace Jonathan David (25), who left the club at the end of his contract to join Juventus on a free transfer. Reports first emerged at the start of June that Lille were interested in the forward, and according to Sky Sports, this week they finally agreed to match the €12m release clause in his contract.

Igamane’s time at Rangers came to a tense end, with the striker reportedly refusing to come off the bench against St Mirren, citing an injury, and then skipped training ahead of their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge, which Rangers lost 6-0 (9-1 on aggregate).

The Moroccan international will look to alleviate Lille’s reliance on Olivier Giroud (38). The 2018 World Cup winner, who is set to turn 39 next month, was brought in with the remit that he would not be the starting striker. However, the delays in bringing in Igamane have led to Giroud playing the full ninety minutes of the first two fixtures.

So far, Giroud has scored in both matches, but it is a situation that Lille likely would not have been able to rely on across a full campaign, where they will also be competing in the UEFA Europa League.

GFFN | Nick Hartland