Rangers transfer window has been one that has seen a refreshingly new approach with names from all over the world mentioned as possible targets.
Nils Koppen’s new recruitment policy is one that Philippe Clement has spoken about too and the manager will be hoping that more players like Mohamed Diomande can be secured.
One “new” signing, who will be a welcome sight when he is fully up to speed is Oscar Cortes, the 20-year old Colombian who impressed on his initial sightings before injury ended his season for Rangers.
Oscar Cortes transfer Rangers might just be the start
Only last summer, Cortes was one of the stars of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and he is now confirmed as a permanent signing, but for the formality of an initial 12-month loan.
How Rangers managed to secure such a talented youngster has been explained with Koppen now a regular attendee at the TransferRoom conferences.
The events see agents and club representatives congregate to discuss possible players and how potential deals could be structured.
Speaking to TransferRoom, Cortes’ agent Tomas Sarmiento explained why it is such an important tool for recruitment directors:
“I’d say a lot of people are cautious about introducing Latin American players to the European market as they’ve not been tested at what you would consider to be the higher echelon.
“So what these doors let us do is actually talk to those decision makers and let us get into detail about what those doubts might be and how we can clear them up.
“Through TransferRoom we had the opportunity to create exchanges, meetings and all of this.
“We came to a good deal and Oscar Cortes will continue at Rangers. It is a club that has helped him greatly to develop and adapt in Europe.
“I think he’s on a good path and ideally, with all the help that TransferRoom provided, we’ll continue our relationship, opening paths to new markets.”
Rangers relationship with Cortes agency could pay dividends
Having a good relationship with an agency like Top Athlete Management can only be a good thing.
Getting players before they make their “big” move is key to a successful player trading model.
South America is a relatively untapped market for Rangers, it is also a cheap one too if players are bought at the right time.
Oscar Cortes has only shown glimpses of what he is capable of so far and fans will be keen to see what he can offer with a full pre-season behind him and a clean bill of health, at £4m he will be expected to produce the goods.
Hopefully Koppen can discover someone like him for the other wing when TransferRoom next hold an event in a few weeks time.
