Exclusive:Rangers weighing-up signing of Sheffield Wednesday’s highly-rated ex-Arsenal man
The Glasgow side are busy assembling their new coaching staff after the appointment of Russell Martin as manager earlier this month, with the coaching staff around departed interim boss Barry Ferguson having left in mid-May. The Star can reveal that Wednesday coach Sal Bibbo is a figure Rangers are keen on.
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Should a deal progress, goalkeeping coach Bibbo would be in line to replace Gers legend Allan McGregor, who was among the ex-players to step into the Ibrox dugout on a temporary basis alongside Ferguson after the exit of Philippe Clement mid-season.
The news comes just days out from the intended start of Wednesday’s pre-season preparations, with contracts for the club’s frontline coaching team not yet dealt with as per The Star’s understanding. As things stand, it looks highly likely that the likes of Bibbo, Henrik Pedersen, Chris Powell and Sascha Lense will leave the club at the end of deals that expire at the end of the month. Uncertainty over the future of manager Danny Röhl remains in what continues to be a hugely turbulent off-season for the Owls.
Bibbo is a highly-rated goalkeeping coach formerly of Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. A popular figure at Middlewood Road, the 50-year-old joined Wednesday in November 2023 in the weeks after Röhl’s appointment as Owls boss and formed a vital part of that coaching team.
He earned high praise from the likes of James Beadle and Pierce Charles throughout his time with the club and in previous years has been lauded by the likes of Argentina stopper Emi Martinez, who he worked with at both Arsenal and Reading.
Wednesday players are scheduled to return to training later this week but a delay in the completion of vast improvements to their Middlewood Road training base are not yet complete. Financial concerns roll on, with some first team players still not yet paid their May wages. Both club and owner Dejphon Chansiri are the subject of EFL charges – which they have appealed – with the club also the subject of both a registration embargo and a three-window transfer ban.
Your next Sheffield Wednesday read:Â Sheffield Wednesday training ground not ready as players prepare for pre-season return
