Philippe Clement has been wary of throwing Rangers’ new signings in at the deep end this season.
Robin Propper and Jefte were introduced slowly to the starting XI, Hamza Igamane only made his debut against Celtic last time out, and Clinton Nsiala is yet to feature at all.
Connor Barron – pretty much an ever-present thus far – is very much the exception rather than the rule, then, with his Aberdeen background ensuring that the Ryan Jack replacement needed less time to adapt to his new life in Rangers blue.
With Clement’s side in need of a bounce back against Dundee United this weekend, however, former Ibrox captain Barry Ferguson is keen for the manager to take a different approach.
Nedim Bajrami may be all new to Scottish football, having only arrived on deadline day.
But Ferguson wants to see the £3.5 million signing from Sassuolo forego that usual adaptation period and make an immediate impression for a Gers side who will surely benefit from the creativity and skill he brings to the left-hand side in the absence of an injured Rabbi Matondo.
Rangers could hand Nedim Bajrami his debut
“I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Ferguson tells Go Radio. “I saw a bit of him in the Euros and looked back at a few highlights. Look, he looks a very decent footballer but you need to see him in the flesh.”
Bajrami famously scored with just 23 seconds on the clock as Albania stunned Italy in the European Championship group stages.
Match sharpness should not be an issue as he looks to make a similarly flying start in Glasgow too, Bajrami starting Sassuolo’s first two games of the Serie B season before playing 77 minutes in Albania’s 2-1 win over Ukraine on Saturday.
“Scottish football is a difficult place to play your football,” Ferguson adds. “But by all accounts, I think he can strengthen the team.
“But time will tell. He’s been playing games so I would imagine get him straight into that team on Sunday up at Tannadice.
“The pitch is going to be like a bowling green. Throw him in because you’ve spent £3.5 million on him. If you are going to spend that kind of money, he’s got to be a certain starter.”
Bajrami is a very different sort of left-winger to Matondo or last season’s loan star Abdallah Sima. He is more of a wide playmaker than he is a jet-heeled dribbler, with Cyriel Dessers likely to benefit from the Swiss-born 25-year-old’s ability to thread passes in behind the opposition backline.
Clement, speaking to Rangers’ official YouTube channel a fortnight ago, highlighted Bajrami’s ability to play in a more central role too while also hailing the versatility of Neraysho Kasanwirjo.
Thus, Bajrami’s arrival should help offset the departure of Todd Cantwell to Blackburn Rovers and the continued exile of Ianis Hagi.
Philippe Clement’s side face Dundee United test
“He is very good coming from the left with his right foot because he has a dangerous shot from distance. He scores a lot of goals from outside the box,” former Gers defender Sergio Porrini tells the Daily Record, having worked closely with Bajrami in the Albania set-up.
“Nemid also had quality in the final third and has the vision and range of passing to be really dangerous and create things. He is very much an offensive player. Maybe (he) isn’t the strongest but he has great technique and comes alive in and around the opposition box.”
“I could see Nedim become an important player for Rangers. He is creative and makes things happen. Okay, he is not like Paul Gascoigne or Brian Laudrup but Nedim is a good skilful player who can excite the Rangers fans.
“He is can score goals and get fans off their seats.”
