Patience is a virtue, as they say. And that certainly rings true at Ibrox as Rangers finally get their mitts on a player they tried and failed to sign 12 months earlier.
And with his contract running down, this was not an opportunity Rangers were going to let slip through their fingers again.
Rangers confirmed on deadline day that Lyall Cameron will join when he becomes a free-agent this summer. The highly-regarded Scotland Under-21 international is expected to set the Gers back around £400,000 in compensation, even less than they forked out to bring in Connor Barron from Premiership rivals Aberdeen a year previously.
And, talking about ‘a year previously’, confirmation of Lyall Cameron’s switch to the blue side of Glasgow came a full 12 months later than Rangers would have ideally liked.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash with second-tier outfit Queens’ Park, Clement offered a peak behind the curtain into a pursuit which appears to have rumbled on for far longer than the media realised.
Philippe Clement provides timeline of Rangers’ Lyall Cameron pursuit
“We wanted him in January last year,” the Belgian reveals. “We pushed really hard for that but, in the end, it was not possible.”
At the time, Cameron still had plenty of time left on his Dundee deal. Once he entered the final six months, however, Rangers were free to enter talks and secure the midfielder on a pre-contract agreement under the noses of another interested party in Aberdeen.
Clement also admits that Rangers had hoped to bring Cameron to Ibrox immediately. As part of the deal they eventually struck with Dundee, however, he will now stay at Dens Park for the remainder of the current campaign.
“We all wanted him to come as fast as possible, but it was not possible,” the former Monaco, Club Brugge and Genk boss concludes. “So we needed to wait a few months longer.
“Sometimes, it’s the case.”
The silver lining is that, with Cameron unable to represent his new employers until the start of 2025/26, Bailey Rice has a few months to secure a place in Philippe Clement’s plans himself.
Clement confirms that Rangers let Kieran Dowell go on loan to Birmingham City in order to push 18-year-old Rice up the pecking order. The teenager played the entirety of the second half as Ross County were beaten 4-0 at Ibrox last weekend.
Clement impressed by Cameron’s ‘really good’ record at Dundee
Former Dundee boss James McPake highlights Lyall Cameron’s ‘elite’ mentality – something which should stand him in very good stead at a club with such lofty expectations – while Clement was attracted to his impressive goalscoring talents from central midfield.
With eight already this term, Cameron is arguably something Rangers haven’t had since Scott Arfield’s heyday; A bonafide box-crasher alive to cut backs and crosses in the 18-yard box.
“I’m very happy. It’s part of our plans that we have with the club to develop young Scottish players or to get young Scottish players with potential,” says Clement.
“Those are really good stats. [And] he has the right mentality, he really wants to come to the club. We had enough talks with him that he understands what Rangers is. And, of course, Scottish players know it more.”
