It has been an incredibly busy start to the week for Rangers fans as Philippe Clement’s plans continue with some pace for the coming 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign and our hopes for going one step further and lifting that domestic title once again.
Having earlier confirmed two new plans that will see us face Birmingham City and Union Berlin in freshly announced pre season games, we also have the basic details of those matches, and fans interested in taking in some pre season action GO Sport Travel would be a good place to start for further information.
We face Birmingham at St Andrews in the inaugural Trevor Francis memorial match on Wednesday July 24, and the first £1 million player in the game obviously spent a year at Ibrox under Graeme Souness.
The following Saturday will see us head to the German capital, where we will face the Bundesliga side at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. The league season begins a week after our trip to Berlin on August 3, and we already knew we would face Manchester United at Murrayfield On July 20, so there will be a few more announcements as we build up to the new year.
Our 50 year old Belgian gaffer also secured his third fresh face capture of the summer on Monday as well, as it was confirmed that AC Milan defender Clinton Nsiala has now agreed a pre contract with us, that will see him officially arrive on July 1.
The 20 year old Frenchman’s deal is still subject to ‘international clearance’ and a successful work permit application, but the club clearly feel that there will be no issues with either of those bits of necessary paperwork.
His capture is again a further indication of our pivot to more of a future proof squad make up under Clement, who looks to secure both players with a more long term future with us, but also players who are key financial assets when their time with us is up – to further limit the number of older players that we see leave for no return as free agents at the end of their contracts.
Nsiala, a centre half by trade, came through the youth Academy of French side Cercie Paul Bert de Brequighy, before making the switch to Ligue 1 side Nantes, and then a 2021 shift to the Rosseneri’s youth set up, and he was highly rated and considered to be one of their most important players at that level, and although he was involved in first team training last season, he is yet to make his official professional debut, with his game time coming at Under 19 level.
He has also been capped three times by the French Under 16 set up.
Nsiala follows on from our capture of left back Jefte, and the return of winger Oscar Cortes on a second loan spell from Lens. Mohamed Diomande’s loan from Nordsjaelland has already been formalised, as expected, into a permanent deal.
How much of a role Nsiala will play under the gaffer next term remains wide open for debate, as he is clearly being brought in as one for the future that Clement feels he can mould and develop into a truly talented centre back, as all the words coming out of the club are heavily focused on his development curve and the amount of potential they feel he has.
Given the words of director of recruitment, Nils Koppen, fans can probably expect to see him a handful of times across the coming year as we give him a taste, a greater experience of our game, and push and challenge him to improve even more quickly to reach the levels that our scouting staff clearly feel he is capable of reaching.
With a busy summer of wheeling and dealing expected, Gers fans will simply be watching the speculation rumour mill and seeing what move we make next.
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