Philippe Clement has acted swiftly since the end of the season, making two signings already for Glasgow Rangers as he seeks to strengthen his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Jefte and Oscar Cortes are the two arrivals at Ibrox as Clement’s transfer strategy begins to emerge; signing talented youngsters who could develop into sellable assets further down the line.
This philosophy makes sense. Hopefully, the days of signing players in their late 20s/early 30s on bumper three or four-year contracts are long gone. Instead, a new model will be put in place from this summer onwards. One that could see Rangers close the financial gulf to Celtic.
Money might not always be spent on incomings, with several players who are out of contract targeted, including a young centre-back who is on the books at AC Milan…
Rangers transfer news
As revealed by the Gallant View podcast earlier this week, the Ibrox side are showing interest in Clinton Nsiala as they aim to secure his signature on a free transfer from Milan.
With Clement’s budget for the transfer window unknown, he may have to rely on exploring players who are out of contract, which means Nsiala could arrive in Glasgow for nothing.
While interest is there for the youngster, it remains to be seen whether he fancies making the move to Scotland, although it looks as though he may have a better chance at playing at Rangers.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the Gers have signed a talented defender for nothing, as the likes of Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun and John Souttar cost nothing in transfer fees.
Player
Year joined
Games
Aaron Nemane
2017
6
Sebastien Faure
2012
65
Salim Kerkar
2010
`18
Jerome Rothen
2009
8
Lionel Letizi
2006
8
Jeremy Clement
2006
22
William Stanger
2006
1
Oliver Bernard
2005
14
Julien Rodriguez
2005
46
Gregory Vignal
2004
38
Jean-Alain Boumsong
2004
26
Jerome Bonnissel
2003
4
Fabrice Fernandes
2001
4
Stephanie Guivarc'h
1998
18
Lionel Charbonnier
1998
27
Basile Boli
1994
31
Should Nsiala sign for the Light Blues, he could potentially be an ideal partner for Souttar, especially with Connor Goldson’s future up in the air.
Why Rangers could sell Connor Goldson this summer
According to Saudi Arabian outlet Al-Riyadiya, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard – who is now in charge of Al-Ettifaq – is keen on making a move for Goldson this summer.
Not only that, but James Tavernier is also being lined up for a reunion with his old boss. The duo are on the wrong side of 30 and, as the Ibrox faithful saw towards the end of last season, their performances dropped significantly as Celtic pipped the club to the Premiership and Scottish Cup.
Moving on Goldson could see Souttar return to his favoured slot as a right centre-back, which will allow Nsiala to play as the left-sided centre-back, and it could make for a solid partnership.
John Souttar's 2023/24 season in numbers
The former Hearts defender missed practically the entire 2022/23 season after suffering an ankle injury just 45 minutes into his league debut for the Light Blues.
The 2023/24 campaign was much more productive. Souttar showed resilience way beyond his 27 years in order to fully recover and make 41 appearances for Rangers in all competitions, even chipping in with two goals and two assists.
The Scot ranked third among his teammates for accurate passes per game (58.3) in the top flight, along with ranking second for interceptions (1) and for clearances (3.5) per game, showing how solid he was at the heart of the defence.
These performances came after he was regularly deployed alongside Goldson in the left centre-back slot.
If the Englishman does leave, it could leave a gap in which Souttar could fill, allowing Clement to bring in a left-sided defender who is comfortable on the ball and can build play from the back.
What Clinton Nsiala could offer Rangers
While he has shown plenty of promise, the former French U16 starlet has yet to make his first team debut for Milan, mainly playing at U19 level for the Italian giants.
Last season, the 20-year-old made 40 appearances for the U19 side in both the UEFA Youth League and in the Primavera 1, registering four goals and two assists.
This shows he could add a few goals into the side from the heart of the defence – similar to Souttar – but his abilities go way beyond that.
Throughout the 2023/24 season for Milan U19s, Nsiala finished with an impressive 87% pass success rate while also averaging 5.1 accurate long balls per game, evidence that his passing is among one of his finer attributes.
The youngster also averaged 3.2 interceptions per game along with averaging a staggering 10.8 ball recoveries per game while winning 6.8 total duels each match.
These statistics certainly indicate that the defender has plenty of promise, but they came during an U19 league season rather than a top flight league.
Earlier this year, scout Ruairi Criscuolo profiled Nsiala, saying that Nsiala was “another exciting French prospect” before also saying: “As well as short passing he has the vision and ability to spot runners and find them with his long passes.
“Tall and powerful enough to be a threat in the box.”
It would be a major gamble for Clement to bring him to Ibrox and deploy him in the starting XI straight away, yet he has clearly demonstrated plenty of potential during his spell with Milan and this is the type of profile in which the Belgian must sign this summer.
Experienced players will be required during the transfer window, but having a mix of old and young players could be the perfect recipe for success next season.
Souttar is coming into his peak years as a defender and if he can maintain his form from last season, there is no doubt he will be one of the first names on the team sheet for Clement.
Clement could wave bye-bye to Goldson as Rangers eye 20 y/o colossus
The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-back this summer.
ByDan EmeryJun 5, 2024
A change of mentality is needed ahead of next term, especially considering how badly the club stuttered when the pressure was on during the final few weeks of last season.
Perhaps making some bold calls in the transfer market could be a good thing for Clement and his backroom staff, going against the grain by luring talented youngsters who could make an impression if given a chance.