Philippe Clement is certainly not messing about when it comes to strengthening his Glasgow Rangers side this summer.
Brazilian left-back Jefte and Colombian winger Oscar Cortes were signed a couple of weeks ago and now the Gers have their third signing of the summer – Connor Barron.
The Light Blues had been tracking the player for quite some time, stretching back to January. With his Aberdeen contract expiring at the end of last month, Clement finally secured his man on a free transfer.
It could turn out to be a wise move for both parties, especially with Barron’s ability to continue developing at Rangers, which could see the club secure a major profit on him further down the line.
Might there be another new arrival in the coming days after the Barron news? As it appears, the club are close to wrapping up a dela for a highly rated Bundesliga talent.
Rangers close to signing Bayern Munich winger
According to Football Scotland, Rangers are now in advanced talks to sign Bayern Munich talent Yusuf Kabadayi, despite their being links with Turkish sides, who threatened to hijack a deal for the player.
A transfer fee of around £1m has reportedly been agreed with the German heavyweights, and he could be set to arrive in Glasgow sooner rather than later to finalise his move.
There is no doubt that Clement needs some more wide options ahead of next season and Kabadayi could be an ideal signing to bring depth to that particular area, especially with Abdallah Sima finishing his loan spell and heading back to Brighton and Hove Albion.
What Yusuf Kabadayi can bring to Rangers
The German emerged through the youth ranks at Bayern, making a total of 78 appearances, scoring 29 goals, and grabbing seven assists in the process.
Although he hasn’t played a single minute for the senior side, the 20-year-old spent the 2023/24 campaign out on loan at second-tier side Schalke, where he enjoyed plenty of game time.
Goals
5
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.5
Successful dribbles per game
1.1
Shots per game
1.6
Goal conversion rate
11%
Total duels won per game
3
Via Sofascore
In 26 games in all competitions, Kabadayi scored five goals as he demonstrated his attacking abilities on the left-wing. He was also deployed as a centre-forward and on the right-wing in several games too, which suggests his positional flexibility could be a big boost for Clement heading into the new campaign.
Additionally, he also ranked highly in a variety of performance metrics across the men’s next 14 competitions. When compared to his positional peers across these leagues, Kabadayi ranked in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.31) and total shots (2.82) per 90.
He also ranked in the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area (3.92) and for progressive carries (2.74) per 90, clearly showcasing how much of a threat he posed down the flanks, regularly getting into key positions in order to either score or create chances for his teammates.
A player of this quality could thrive in Scotland, as it is not one of the major five leagues, like the Bundesliga or the Premier League. The question is, can he withstand the physicality of the Scottish game?
It appears that the Gers have agreed a move to sign a striker, one that could form a solid duo with Kabadayi next term.
Rangers agree move to sign African striker
According to Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack, the Gers are about to complete their fifth summer signing.
He said on X: “Hamza Igamane has agreed a move to Rangers. Fee around £1.5million and striker expected to arrive in Glasgow in the coming days.
“Igamane becomes the fifth signing after Connor Barron was confirmed following his switch from Aberdeen.”
Signing another centre-forward or two was a must for Clement, especially having lost Kemar Roofe at the end of last season, plus the fact the jury is still out on the likes of Cyriel Dessers – who scored 22 times during 2023/24 – and Danilo, who missed six months of the season due to injury.
Igamane might not be the marquee name some may have wanted at Ibrox, but he is young and has shown plenty of promise in Morcocco during the early stages of his career.
Hamza Igamane and Yusuf Kabadayi could form a dream partnership at Rangers
Sima was one of the standout performers from last term, scoring 16 times from the left-wing, yet he managed just three assists.
Kabadayi has the ability to create chance after chance for Igamane should both players feature regularly in the starting XI for Clement next season.
He succeeded with 1.1 dribbles per game for Schalke in 2023/24, while also averaging 0.5 key passes and 0.4 successful crosses per game, stats which could improve should he move to Rangers with their dominance in Scottish football alongside their local rivals.
Igamane is a natural finisher and certainly knows where the back of the net is. For AS FAR last term, the youngster scored seven times and grabbed six assists in just 23 matches, which works out as a goal contribution every 1.7 matches.
He averaged 2.9 shots per game and succeeded with 1.9 dribbles per match for his club, and while a goal conversion rate of just 12% might be slightly concerning, with more experience at a higher level, hopefully, this can improve rapidly.
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It is clear the pair have excellent futures ahead of them, especially if they both sign for Rangers. Playing with much better players will allow the duo to take that next step up and begin to develop into the finished article over the next couple of years.
Considering Clement is only going to have to part with an outlay of £2.5m combined for the two youngsters, it could represent a bargain.
His strategy is now clear, sign talented gems in the hope that several of them can fulfill their potential and secure a move to one of Europe’s big five leagues in the future.
Unfortunately, the Light Blues are a stepping stone for many players. But if Clement can make a substantial profit on any player, especially those who don’t cost much, then it will prove that his system is working wonders.
