As soon as Nils Koppen was announced as Rangers’ new Director of Football, fans were already looking to the likes of PSV winger Johan Bakayoko.
The Gers have completed their footballing board with the appointment of the 38-year-old, who comes with a solid pedigree of recruiting the impressive PSV side we faced this season.
Having made Champions League Last 16 qualification with a match to spare, it’s an indictment in the talent of the team who thrashed Rangers 7-3 on aggregate this summer.
Nils Koppen worked in team who signed Johan Bakayoko
In that team included 20-year-old Belgian winger Johan Bakayoko, who assisted both his side’s goals at Ibrox and was a constant menace in the tie.
Continuing that form into the group stage, it’s a big part of the reason why PSV reportedly turned down a £17m approach from Burnley for the winger in the summer.
It’s a number which is increasing by the match for the nine-times capped Belgian international, who was signed for PSV by incoming Rangers Director of Football Nils Koppen.
Having joined the Eredivisie club as a youth scout in 2018, Nils Koppen would’ve been part of the team who helped recruit Johan Bakayoko from the Anderlecht academy in 2019.
The winger will certainly serve as part of the inspiration behind the move, with Rangers’ insistence on an improved player trading model very much at the root of the appointment.
Having also worked with Philippe Clement at KRC Genk, a working relationship with the current Ibrox manager appears to be another positive.
Player trading focus shift at Rangers
Speaking after the announcement of the club’s latest financial results, John Bennett and the Rangers board are clear that the club has to improve the quality of its transfers.
As a result, the appointment of Nils Koppen must be viewed as a very serious one with Rangers taking their time over the move.
Buying low and selling high has to be the club’s transfer market mantra but too often Rangers have fallen short in this regard.
The likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Filip Helander stand out as being the biggest losses, high earners with high potential who left on a free at the end of their contracts, whilst there has been success with Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara.
After Ross Wilson left for Nottingham Forest in April, Rangers have been without someone in a similar role and it’s very much viewed as being to our detriment.
With Michael Beale given free reign over the summer’s £21m transfer window, the jury remains out on several of the Ibrox club’s underperforming signings.
Nils Koppen will be tasked with both unearthing the next Johan Bakayoko, but also in shipping assets out at the peak of their value, or minimising losses on the current squad.
It all takes patience and understanding of the market, and also a keen eye for a player and his development.
After rejecting that bid from Burnley, PSV stand to bank even more on the winger and it’s in no small part down to the influence of Rangers’ new director of football.
If Nils Koppen can repeat the feat at Ibrox, the club will be onto something in the forthcoming seasons with the money banked on transfers imperative as to how we build going forward.
