Super Eagles transfer: 2 areas Emmanuel Fernandez defender must improve before EPL move

Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has already received a glowing Premier League endorsement from Ola Aina, but he still has two important areas to improve before making the step up to England’s top flight, Afrik-Foot reports.

Aina recently described the 25-year-old as a “top, top player” and highlighted his ability to use both feet and his “level head” as qualities that could help him succeed in the Premier League.

Fernandez responded “Amen” when Aina asked whether a Premier League move could be next, underlining the ambition of the Rangers centre-back.

There are certainly reasons for English clubs to monitor his progress. Fernandez was Rangers’ Player of the Year last season and earned a place in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year, while his performances also helped him break into the Super Eagles.

His current season, however, has been less straightforward. After coming under criticism during Rangers’ difficult start, Fernandez has recovered alongside Olwethu Makhanya, helping the club record important clean sheets and most recently playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 Old Firm victory over Celtic.

2 areas Fernandez must improve before Premier League move

1. Concentration in key moments

The first area Fernandez needs to improve is concentration. Interestingly, this is something the defender himself identified after coming under criticism earlier this season.

“I know when something I’ve done is bad, and I know that I need to improve on it.

“Maybe it’s just concentration in moments. Like, if we do have a chat, it’s concentration in moments and the small things.

“Sometimes they’re the ones that could cause a goal to come against us, or an attack to come against us.”

That admission is significant because Fernandez’s biggest problems this season have not necessarily been about his overall ability.

He produced an impressive performance against Dundee United in the opening league game, winning 93% of his aerial duels and making nine headed clearances.

But his level subsequently dropped, with mistakes against Jagiellonia Białystok, Falkirk and St Mirren attracting criticism.

Former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell, for example, questioned Fernandez’s decision-making after a misplaced flick against St Mirren created a dangerous counter-attack.

For a defender targeting the Premier League, those small lapses could become very costly.

The pace of the game is higher, forwards press more aggressively, and opponents are more likely to punish mistakes immediately.

Fernandez has shown that he can respond to criticism. The next step is making those lapses increasingly rare.

2. Decision-making under pressure

Fernandez’s second area for improvement is closely connected to the first: knowing when to take risks and when to keep things simple.

His background as a former midfielder has clearly contributed to his confidence in possession.

He is comfortable carrying the ball forward and can use either foot, qualities that Aina believes could help him against Premier League opposition, but that confidence needs to be matched by consistently good decisions.

The St Mirren incident provided a clear example. Fernandez had won possession before attempting an ambitious flick towards Dujon Sterling, only for Nikolas Agrafiotis to intercept and launch a counter-attack. Bell’s assessment was blunt.

“When you’re a centre-half, you need to make better decisions,” the former Rangers goalkeeper said.

“These are bad decisions. That flick there. Can’t be doing that.”

Fernandez does not need to eliminate his progressive side. Instead, he needs to develop the judgement to recognise when carrying the ball or attempting a difficult pass can help Rangers and when retaining possession is the safer option.

That balance could be crucial if he eventually moves to the Premier League, where opponents will be quicker to exploit an unnecessary turnover.

Super Eagles: Fernandez has shown he can respond

The encouraging part for Fernandez is that these are correctable weaknesses rather than questions over his overall ability.

His response to the difficult start has been impressive, particularly alongside Makhanya.

Rangers have also collected important results during that improvement, including consecutive victories over Celtic.

Fernandez now has the opportunity to turn that recovery into consistency. Aina has already identified qualities that could make him a Premier League defender.

If Fernandez can combine those strengths with greater concentration and more disciplined decision-making, his “Premier League soon?” question could eventually become a realistic career move.