Glasgow Rangers are set to confirm their first signing of the Russell Martin era as they close in on a deal to sign right-back Max Aarons from Bournemouth.
Fabrizio Romano reports that all of the documents have been signed to complete a season-long loan move for the former England U21 international, who is set to bolster the club’s defensive options.
Aarons is no stranger to the new Rangers boss because he came through the Norwich academy when the former Scotland international was the club captain at Carrow Road.
Speaking on the Talk Norwich City podcast in May, the 25-year-old defender explained why he thought Martin would become a manager in the future when they trained together.
Aarons said: “When he came and trained with us he had an aura. I always knew he would go on to be a manager. I think players who played with him always knew that as well.
“I knew we had to be on it when he was training with us and giving 110 per cent because if not Russ would tell you and I loved that.”
What Max Aarons could bring to Rangers
It is fair to say that Rangers are not signing Aarons at the apex of his career, as he has had a difficult time of things since leaving Norwich to sign for Bournemouth in 2023.
After missing just two games through injury in his entire time in Norfolk, the full-back suffered two injuries that kept him out for 15 matches combined in his first year at the Vitality, which heavily disrupted his progress with the Cherries.
The right-footed whiz only played 23 games in the Premier League in his first 18 months with Bournemouth, before being loaned out to Valencia, where he played five times, in the second half of the 2024/25 season.
However, if Rangers can get Aarons back to his best, then they could have a reliable defender who can also provide quality in possession, based on his impressive displays for Norwich when they won the Championship title in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns.
Starts
41
45
Goals
2
2
Big chances created
6
5
Assists
6
2
Clean sheets
11
17
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.7
1.6
Duel success rate
58%
53%
As you can see in the table above, the former Canaries star, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year on both occasions, offered a threat at the top end of the pitch whilst also helping his team to keep plenty of clean sheets.
Those performances for Norwich came in a ball-dominant team that won the league title both times, which shows that he can thrive as a full-back in a side that competes at the very top of the league, as Rangers will do next term.
As shown in the clip above, Aarons excels at linking up with teammates to maraud down the flank in transition, helping his team to get up the pitch quickly and effectively to create chances in the final third.
The English whiz struck up an exceptional partnership with Emiliano Buendia on the right flank, as they played at right-back and right-wing week-in-week-out in both of those title-winning seasons for Norwich.
Buendia was a natural number ten who was utilised as a right-winger by Daniel Farke, with the license to drift infield into central areas to create space for Aarons to bomb on and make runs into the final third.
That partnership clearly helped the full-back to flourish, given his form for Norwich in those seasons, and that is why Martin can make the defender explode again by signing Tyrhys Dolan, who is a reported Rangers target this summer.
Why Tyrhys Dolan is perfect for Max Aarons
The Light Blues should sign the Blackburn Rovers forward before the end of the summer transfer window because he could be the perfect signing alongside Aarons.
Dolan could also be a bargain signing for the Scottish Premiership giants because his contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month, which means that he is set to be available on a free transfer.
It is his quality and versatility on the pitch that Rangers should be most interested in, though, as the wing wizard, who created seven ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the 2024/25 campaign, has the potential to be a Buendia-esque figure ahead of Aarons on the right flank.
Dolan, who was once lauded as “outstanding” by former boss John Eustace, is a versatile attacker who can comfortably play out wide on the right or in a central position.
Right wing
48
5
6
Centre-forward
38
5
3
Attacking midfield
26
6
4
Right midfield
25
4
3
Left winger
17
4
1
Left midfield
12
2
3
Second striker
4
1
1
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old whiz has predominantly played as a right winger, but has plenty of experience as a striker and as a number ten.
This suggests that he would be perfectly suited to playing a similar role to the one that Buendia played ahead of Aarons at Norwich, as he can start out wide on the right and drift inside to create space for the full-back on the overlap.
Interestingly, Adam Armstrong played a similar tactical role for Martin in the 2023/24 campaign in the Championship, as he started on the right wing before coming infield to play as a striker.
This particular position for Dolan, who scored seven goals and provided six assists this season, would be slightly different, coming into a number ten area instead of playing as a number nine, to make sure that Aarons can thrive as an overlapping full-back.
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Therefore, Dolan could be the perfect signing for the Light Blues to help Aarons explode next season, because of the goals and assists he can provide as well as the positional flexibility to play a unique tactical role.