For Barry Ferguson, the legendary Rangers captain, it’s certainly disappointing that some of the best homegrown talent in Scotland have slipped through the Glasgow giants’ fingers.
Lewis Ferguson, the former skipper’s nephew, had a spell in Rangers‘ academy but will be playing Champions League football next season at Bologna.
Josh Doig and Aaron Hickey all took their games to a new level in Italy, while some have understandably questioned the decision to invest heavily on Danilo and Cyriel Dessers when there is a Lawrence Shankland at home.
Ferguson feels that Rangers may have missed a trick not going all in on making Ibrox home to Scotland’s best domestic talent. Then again, he does also see the logic in looking beyond the Hadrian’s Wall in pursuit of bargain buys.
Such as, for instance, the one that saw Mohamed Diomande arrive in January; the Nordsjaelland loanee with a £4.5 million purchase clause in his contract and looking worth every penny.
Mohamed Diomande impresses Rangers legend
“Rangers need to spend the pennies wisely this summer. Philippe Clement faces a busy summer recruitment wise,” Ferguson tells the Daily Record. “It’s already started with the arrival of Brazilian left-back Jefte which is a promising sign.
“Of course you have to cast the net far and wide in a bid to land the best talent available for the budget – like Mohamed Diomande who I believe has been a real gem of a find.”
Diomande, who Clement believes can go right to the top of the European game, has been a big hit in Glasgow. His energy, intensity and drive from the centre of the park should offset the likely departure of John Lundstram, and Ferguson is intrigued about what a partnership of Diomande and Nicolas Raskin could look like once the Belgian is back to full fitness.
Barry Ferguson excited for Diomande – Raskin partnership
“When Raskin first came in, I was excited. His early performances were quite promising but then he got a couple of injuries when the new manager came in so it was quite stop start. But over the last few weeks he’s come back in and shown signs,” Ferguson adds, Raskin impressive in a disappointing end to Rangers’ campaign.
“Not in a way that made me go ‘wow’. But signs there is a good footballer in there. He has the basics, he doesn’t mind getting involved in the dirty side; scuffles, tackles, he can pass the ball and it looks as if he can get across the park pretty well.
“Make or break time? Probably. Another stop-start season and his Rangers career might pass him by. Diomande, on the other hand, is only going to get better and stronger. I really, really like him. I was sitting in the stands when he came off the bench at Ibrox for his debut against Aberdeen and even in just a 10-minute run out I could tell he had something about him.
“He is wiry, he can handle the ball, get about the pitch and has a goal in him as well. I think we’re going to see an even better version of Diomande next season. He looks to have a really good attitude and is desperate to learn.
“He’s the type of player that could earn Rangers a good bit of money down the line. The £4.5m fee is well worth it. He’s been a real find. Hopefully there’s a few more about to be unearthed in the coming weeks.”
With Jefte Vital becoming Rangers’ first signing of the summer – bringing in a Brazilian who spent last year in Cyprus – the Premiership runners-up are again looking all across the globe as they look to replicate Diomande’s success.
After walking away from the Bulgaria-based Jose Cordoba, Rangers could bring in Thomas Galdames from Argentine football. There is interest too in the South African starlet Rele Mofokeng and the Romania-based Kosovo international striker Albion Rrahmani.
