Deadline day, at one point, looked like it was going to be a perfect day for Rangers fans, instead, Philippe Clement saw the window shut and still be a couple of players short.
The late move for Samuel Edozie to replace Scott Wright fell apart at the 11th hour with only Nedim Bajrami and Neraysho Kasanwirjo arriving to strengthen the squad.
Bajrami will be the one to watch after his international displays with Albania, however, how Kasanwirjo is used by the manager will be a facsinating decision.
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What Rangers can expect from Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Capable of playing anywhere across the defence or as a defensive midfielder, the Gers manager hasn’t given any real detail on where he sees the 22-year old Netherlands Under-21 international playing.
Alfons Arts, Groningen’s assistant manager between 2020 and 2023 knows full well what Neraysho Kasanwirjo is capable of, with a word of warning for Clement and the Rangers fans alike, as told to The Rangers Review:
“He’s an aggressive defender who plays on the front foot. The only problem is sometimes when he goes into a duel, Nana is too focused on keeping the ball – sometimes when you duel you need to only make sure that your opponent doesn’t keep the ball. That’s one area in which he can improve.
“The advantage for Nana is that he’s strong on the ball and capable of playing in midfield – so he can choose moments to influence the game not only on the sideline but in the middle of the pitch too.
“You see with a lot of clubs now, full-backs can be wingers or play low by the sidelines, sometimes inside the pitch too. That’s a position he can fill very well.
“On the ball, Nana takes a lot of risks in his dribbling and passing but he is normally very comfortable in possession. Another area of improvement is that sometimes, he can be a player who is totally focused for 89 minutes but in one moment everything can be blown away.
“I think playing next to Robin Propper would be good for him, to coach him through the game. Those two could be a very good couple in the defence.
“Not dissimilar to the partnership that Propper had with Mees Hilgers (a faster, young centre-back) at FC Twente. They speak the same language which can be an important detail on the pitch.”
Kasanwirjo style of play could look familiar
An aggressive defender who is a good ball carrier is exactly what Rangers need, regardless of whether this is at centre-half or right-back.
With speculation surrounding the future of James Tavernier and a potential bid from Besiktas to reunite with Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Kasanwirjo’s arrival could make this an easier decision should an offer land on Nils Koppen’s desk.
Reading Arts’ description, it would be easy to apply a similar description to Calvin Bassey.
A fast, aggressive, physical, dynamic ball carrier but also prone to the odd lapse of concentration.
When Bassey arrived, he was far from the finished article but still left as Rangers record transfer sale.
With expectations as low for Kasanwirjo as they were for Bassey, a similar attitude could see fans grow to love him just as much.
