Rangers find replacement for injured Rommens! Scotsman returns home from Greece

Rangers have reached an agreement with AEK for the transfer of left-back James Penrice.

Details: As exclusively reported by Fabrizio Romano, the clubs have agreed on a loan deal with a buy option, with the medical set for Friday. The negotiations were far from simple: the reigning Greek champions pushed for a permanent transfer, but ultimately relented and accepted the loan structure. For Derek McInnes, this is an emergency reinforcement: first-choice left-back Thyr Rommens is sidelined for eight weeks with a groin injury.

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For the 27-year-old Scotsman, this is a homecoming just a year after his departure: in the summer of 2025, AEK bought him from Hearts for €2.3 million. Penrice won the league title in Greece, but Rangers have had a nervy start to the season: a draw with Dundee United in the Premiership and a defeat to Jagiellonia in the Europa League forced the club to urgently patch up the gap on the flank.

Interestingly, in the 2024/25 season with Hearts, Penrice made 46 appearances across all competitions, scored 2 goals and delivered 7 assists, earning a spot in the Scottish league's Team of the Season. Now he's returning to a championship he knows inside out, and could feature against Jagiellonia already in the second leg of the Europa League qualifiers.

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