Glasgow Rangers made two signings on deadline day, as defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo and attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami joined from Feyenoord and Sassuolo respectively.
It might not have been the business the Ibrox faithful were looking for, but two signings is better than none, giving Philippe Clement a couple of options to choose from in key positions.
Moving on the likes of Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell recently will have also helped in regard to getting more players off the wage bill, but the onus will be on Clement to further strengthen in January.
The Belgian manager will now have to utilise the players he has at his disposal between now and then, hoping that the Light Blues will still be in a title race by then.
In the Premiership, the club have won two of their three matches, sitting two points behind Celtic ahead of the first Old Firm clash of the season on Sunday.
It has been a stuttering start to the campaign, but the 6-0 win over Ross County last week saw the team get into their stride, as both Rabbi Matondo and Cyriel Dessers shone against the Highland side.
Dessers has endured his criticism, but could he turn out to be an important player for the Gers as the season progresses?
Cyriel Dessers’ statistics for Rangers this season
The Nigerian centre-forward has featured in all six of the Light Blues’ fixtures so far this term, scoring five goals and chipping in with an assist.
A more than impressive return, but he will now be expected to step up against the likes of Celtic and in Europe, scoring against better teams in tighter matches.
Against County, he was superb. Along with his two goals, the 29-year-old completed 100% of his passes, made two key passes and created a big chance during the encounter.
Goals
3
Assists
0
Big chances created
1
Big chances missed
3
Shots per game
3.3
Successful dribbles per game
0.7
Goals breed confidence, which means Dessers should be heading into the first derby match of the campaign aiming to score his first ever Old Firm goal.
If he can link up well with those flanking him, along with whoever plays in the number ten slot, then the striker has the capability to cause the Celtic defender plenty of problems.
Despite his strong start to the season, Clement certainly missed a trick by failing to sign another centre-forward during the summer transfer window, especially considering how many the Light Blues were linked with.
One name went on to join another club in Europe and helped lead them to the group stages of the reformed Champions League – Albion Rrahmani.
Rangers' summer search for a striker
One of the biggest transfer sagas, particularly during the first half of the transfer window, was whether Rangers would bring the Kosovan striker to Ibrox.
Even at the start of August, his club side Rapid were claiming that the asking price for the striker was set at around €6m (£5m) if any club wished to sign him before the deadline.
It soon became clear that the Gers were not going to make a move for him, as he subsequently joined Sparta Prague instead, resulting in a major missed opportunity for Clement and Co.
Rrahmani had scored 18 goals in just 29 matches for the Romanian club last term, showcasing his talents in front of goal during his single campaign at Rapid.
The 24-year-old also created 13 big chances, averaged two key passes per game and succeeded with 1.2 dribbles per game, proving that he could link up well with others, which would have given Clement a big advantage.
Since moving to Prague, he has already opened his account, scoring against Malmö, which secured progression into Europe’s premier club competition for the Czech side.
Would Rangers have managed to qualify for the group stages if Rrahmani was in the starting XI? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the qualities that the striker would have brought to the club may have given them an advantage against Dynamo Kyiv.
Why Albion Rrahmani would have been ideal for Cerny
Clement may not have improved all areas of the first-team squad during the summer transfer window, but one area which is stronger now than what it was last season is the right wing.
Not only has Wright departed Ibrox, but Czech winger Vaclav Cerny has joined the Gers on a season-long loan deal from Wolfsburg, adding some experience to that side of the pitch.
The 26-year-old has already begun to showcase his talents at Ibrox, notching a goal and two assists in six games, of which only three appearances were from the starting XI.
His pinpoint deliveries into the box have worked well for Dessers so far, but imagine how Rrahmani would fare with the Czech winger providing plenty of chances for him in the box.
Dubbed as “powerful” by Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson amid the links to Ibrox, Rrahmani would be a dream player for Cerny, causing chaos in Scotland and on the continent.
Dessers, although much improved in recent weeks, certainly isn’t the striker to lead the Light Blues to the Premiership title, especially considering how many big chances that he misses.
Signing Rrahmani would have been a major upgrade for the Nigerian striker ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, but it was clear the funds weren’t readily available at the time to lure him to Scotland.
Dessers and Danilo will be tasked with leading the Gers to glory this term. Supported by the likes of Cerny and Matondo, hardly the players the supporters were expecting when the transfer window opened in June.
The season is still in its embryonic stage and anything can happen during a nine-month-long race, but the general feeling is the club are far too lightweight in the attacking department and this could be Clement’s downfall.
Only time will tell whether these players are good enough when it really matters.
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ByRoss KilvingtonAug 31, 2024