Rangers have pressed the re-set button this summer. Philippe Clement’s job has been made harder by the decision to be more sensible in the transfer market.
For years, there has been no real strategy, however, this has all changed with more younger players arriving and not stock piling them just because the manager isn’t happy with the squad that he inherited.
Rangers fans are learning the hard way that they can’t have it both ways and need to get on board with the new transfer policy.
Rangers need to get right mix of players in summer recruitment
Clement has spoken about the need to look longer term which goes against recent speculation:
“If I only looked at the short term I would only bring in experienced players who can do the job directly.
“Mistakes like that have been made too much in the past and at the end you don’t reach your goals.
“You need a different philosophy and that’s what we are all working towards.”
The summer signings so far meet this policy as well as others who have been linked.
The players who don’t are Joan Jordan and Adama Traore, and it is the latter who has been causing a storm on social media.
Having recently turned 29-years old, the Mali international is at the tail end of his career.
He is still lightening quick and consistently contributing goals and assists.
Traore is the definition of first-team ready.
At around £3.5m though, there have been rumbles on social media about spending so much money on a player who Clement might only get three years out of.
The hard facts of the matter are that this is the going rate.
Rangers have to face the modern reality of how far money goes
Sam Lammers is 27, Cyriel Dessers is nearly 30 and what sort of fee is Nils Koppen looken to secure for them?
According to reports, more than the £3.5m quoted for Traore.
We can’t have it both ways.
In recent seasons Rangers have been priced out of several moves for young players who have made breakthrough seasons.
This is why signing the likes of Jefte, Clinton Nsiala and Hamza Igamane is going to be a more common occurrence.
Wingers who score goals, create assists and can be lethal on the counter-attack or in one-v-one situations against a low block are like gold dust.
Rangers are no longer shopping in the sort of market that saw Andrei Kanchelskis arrive for £5.5m or Ronald de Boer for £4.5m over 20 years ago.
Oscar Cortes is going to cost over £4m and he has barely kicked a ball in European football.
Talent comes at a cost, as does experience.
Signing quality players at their peak is almost a thing of the past for Rangers.
