Giovanni van Bronckhorst must look back on his time at Rangers and wonder what might have been if he had been given the players that he really wanted to sign.
Players like Xavi Simons would have been game changers, but there is one in particular who would have solved a current issue in the squad that Philippe Clement has inherited.
The manager has lost a lot of experience in the summer but centre-half could have been a position that didn’t need to be addressed if Rangers had signed Danilho Doekhi in 2022.
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Danilho Doekhi signs new contract after Rangers blunder
The Netherlands international spoke above having the chance to sign for Rangers, however, he chose to move to a higher standard of league football by joining Union Berlin.
It is a move that has worked out well for the former Vitesse Arnhem stopper with the Bundesliga outfit announcing that a new contract had been signed.
Despite speculation linking him with Serie A, Doekhi said of his extended deal:
“I am delighted with the trust and appreciation shown by the Union.
“The sports directors have made it clear that they want to continue planning and working with me and I too since I feel very comfortable here.”
Horst Heldt, Union’s managing director is clearly a fan, when the club announced the extension, he said:
“Danilho has become one of the best centre-backs in the Bundesliga. He constantly works to improve and has taken another step forward this season, both as a player and as a leader in the locker room.”
How much is Doekhi worth now?
What might have been. At nearly 6ft 4inches tall, Doekhi is a physical presence at the heart of the defence, but he is also calm and composed in possession too.
If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have made the step up to international football where competition is fierce for the Netherlands.
A transfer fee of £16.5m was quoted by Get Football News Germany last season when Napoli were interested and, with his agent claiming that Premier League clubs sniffing about this summer, and with Doekhi’s deal due to expire in 2025, Union have secured a valuable asset.
An asset that Rangers could have had for £2m instead of James Sands.
