There wasn’t even a hint that Rangers were interested in Mohamed Diomande until a journalist based in Denmark broke the news that a deal was all but done.
Gers boss Philippe Clement keeps his cards close to the chest and it would appear that the Ibrox leaks have all been plugged with Nils Koppen recruitment team giving nothing away as they look to strengthen the squad.
The Rangers director of football recruitment has made an immediate impact with the signings of Fabio Silva and Mohamed Diomande with the former PSV Eindhoven transfer guru explaining why the 22-year old was targeted.
Rangers see key qualities in Mohamed Diomande
Diomande is a very versatile midfielder, capable of playing in almost any position with This is Ibrox analyst John Walker suggesting that he could even replicate Joe Aribo’s old role on the right of the attack.
Speaking to the Rangers media team, Koppen revealed that Mohamed Diomande has been on the radar for some time:
“As a recruitment department, we are very pleased to add Mohamed to our Rangers squad after a long and thorough process.
“After analysing data, video and live games over a long period of time, we are convinced that he will add something extra with his high level of athleticism, creative play and strong defensive work.
“I look forward seeing him play in a Rangers jersey and be a part of the amazing Rangers family.”
Those three qualities seem to be applied by Philippe Clement when picking his Rangers team.
Athleticism, creativity and strong defensively.
Players have to be capable of doing all three and you only have to look at Ross McCausland’s effort at Easter Road in the early stages to see what the manager demands of his squad.
Rangers will dominate possession most weeks in Scotland so, having a player like Mohamed Diomande who is capable of doing the hard yards and of breaking opposition teams down is going to be a huge benefit.
These are attributes that crossover to European football too where players with more pace and energy are always beneficial.
With a hint of the unknown, Rangers fans, like Koppen, can’t wait to see their new Diomande sparkle.
Sorry…
