Former Rangers assistant manager Jonatan Johansson has swooped for ex-Ibrox starlet Serge Atakayi [TPS].
Atakayi spent three years at Rangers between 2016 and 2019 and made one first-team appearance as a substitute in a 7-1 win over Motherwell in the Premiership in November 2018.
He didn’t manage to kick on at senior level, though, and was eventually sold to Finnish top-flight side SJK for a reported fee of £100,000 [Daily Record].
Initially, the move home looked to be working out for the forward, who was playing regularly.
However, he has since slipped down the pecking order and hasn’t featured in any of SJK’s 13 league matches so far this season.
Now, former Gers assistant Johansson has intervened, taking him on loan at second-tier club TPS Turku.
TPS are currently struggling in eighth in the 12-team Ykkonen after being relegated from the Veikkausliiga last season and were in need of attacking reinforcements.
“Serge is a big bonus player for our attacking head in this place,” said Johansson [translated] [TPS]. “I know him well because I was at Rangers at the same time as an assistant coach when he was a promising player at the club’s Academy.”
“Serge’s career has been a bit in the lurch, but he has a strong desire to show off his true skills. We will gladly welcome him here.
“Serge is again a different player, that brings new options to our game.”
Atakayi was once highly rated during his time at Ibrox, with Steven Gerrard allegedly suggesting that there would be big opportunities for him if he performed during an initial loan at SJK in 2019 [Daily Record].
However, he’s hardly kicked a ball in months and now aged 22 and on loan in the Finnish second-tier, things aren’t going the way many predicted.
Perhaps this temporary stint working under Johansson will help to restore his confidence and then he can start to fulfil the potential he showed during his time at Auchenhowie.
Meanwhile, another mercurial former Rangers attacker is available on a free after being released by a Championship club.
