Philippe Clement looks set to be a busy man in charge of Glasgow Rangers this summer. Five players have already departed following the expiration of their contracts, and it looks like more will follow out the Ibrox exit door in the coming weeks.
Due to some lavish spending last summer by Michael Beale, the Belgian may need to raise some funds via player sales in order to attract the players that he needs ahead of next season.
There are several candidates, but it appears as though the 50-year-old is ready to make a bid for a striker in order to bolster his attacking options…
Rangers transfer news
According to Romanian outlet Digi Sport (via the Daily Record), Nils Koppen, director of recruitment at the Ibrox side, has met with the representatives of striker Albion Rrahmani to discuss a potential move to Glasgow.
Currently playing for Rapid Bucharest, it appears as though the 23-year-old is set to depart the club for pastures new this summer.
Slavia Prague are seemingly interested in the player, reportedly offering a fee of around £2.5m in order to sign him, yet the Gers could be set to offer a much higher fee in order to get their man.
Digi Sport claim that the Light Blues are preparing a bid of around £5.1m, which is over double that of Slavia’s, as Clement looks to get another transfer over the line.
Victor Angelescu, the Rapid chief executive, discussed Rrahmani’s future, saying: "There is a 75-80 per cent chance that, Rrahmani will leave. We must prepare for this scenario."
This is good news for Koppen and Clement so early in the summer and a move for Rrahmani could be the catalyst for a few more deals being completed.
Why Rangers must sign another striker this summer
Cyriel Dessers may have scored 22 times for the Gers during his maiden season, but having missed a staggering 27 big chances in the Premiership, it is clear Clement requires someone more clinical in front of goal.
Danilo was the big name signing last summer, yet he featured just 21 times due to suffering a season-ending knee injury against Hearts in December.
Kemar Roofe was one of the five players released from the club once his contract expired at the end of May and the writing was on the wall due to his limited appearances since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
Rrahmani could be an ideal heir for the Jamaican forward, who just couldn’t get himself fit enough during his final two years at Ibrox.
Albion Rrahmani could replace Kemar Roofe
When Roofe was 100% fit and healthy, there was no doubting his abilities. The player could operate as a long striker, drop deep when required, while also being able to play out wide on the odd occasion.
During his four-year spell, Roofe made 102 appearances for Rangers, netting 38 times, which isn’t a bad goal-to-game ratio at all.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
24
2
1
2022/23
6
2
0
2021/22
36
16
2
2020/21
36
18
4
This could have been much greater had he not missed a total of 96 games since the start of the 2020/21 campaign due to a series of injuries and knocks, hindering his opportunities, particularly under Clement.
The Belgian did the right thing by releasing him, especially considering the 31-year-old was taking home around £26k-per-week. Freeing up this type of wage could allow Clement the freedom to pursue players such as Rrahmani this summer.
Having shone throughout 2023/24 for Rapid, he is certainly the perfect replacement for Roofe.
Why Albion Rrahmani could be the answer to Clement’s problems
First and foremost, Rrahmani knows where the back of the net is. Across just 95 professional matches, the Kosovan striker has scored 51 goals, which works out as a goal every 1.86 games. This clearly indicates that he could solve the attacking problems that Clement has up top.
His move to Rapid worked out extremely well for the forward as he scored 17 goals in just 26 games for the Romanian side since making the move from FC Ballkani.
Not only did the 23-year-old rank first among his teammates with regard to overall Sofascore rating (7.32) in the Romanian top flight, but he also finished the campaign ranked first for goals and assists (22), shots per game (3.2) and for big chances created (13), showing that not only did he enjoy plenty of success in front of goal, but the youngster was more than capable of setting up chances for others.
While it appears as though Rangers are set to be preparing a bid for him in the coming days, the club have courted the player since December.
Indeed, Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson analysed his strengths amid the initial interest in the player, stating that he was “on fire domestically” for Rapid while also offering more insight into his style of play, saying: “He’s another tall, powerful striker who definitely knows where the back of the net is.
“His movement across defenders is what gets him a lot of his chances. He has real positional intelligence, which, some may say, Rangers have lacked this season.”
With Danilo hoping to be fit for the start of next season and Dessers beginning to look more confident during the second half of the season, adding another striker will be of importance to Clement as he seeks to add something extra to his team.
Rrahmani has clearly showcased his talents enough on the continent to warrant a move to a club like Rangers, especially with the chance to play in European competition.
Hopefully, this could turn out to be an exciting signing who is ready to hit the ground running should he swap Romania for Scotland.
With four caps for the Kosovo national team, Rrahmani looks set to have a bright future on the international stage too as he looks to become one of the most important players for his country in the coming years.
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ByRoss KilvingtonJun 4, 2024
£5.1m is certainly a lavish fee for the Light Blues to spend, but if Rrahmani can perform in Scotland how he has done in Romania, then they could have a wonderful signing.