Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement looked like he was trying to establish a new model at Ibrox during the summer transfer window.
Previous managers attempted a rebuild but had spent significant money on players who were either not good enough or far too old for any profit to be secured once they were moved on.
This led to the likes of Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Ben Davies being brought to the Light Blues over the last couple of years. All three failed to live up to their transfer fees.
Clement has come under fire recently for his approach to most games, with the Gers looking stagnant, failing to create enough clear-cut chances, notably in the defeat to Kilmarnock.
The Belgian is trying to change how the club operate in the transfer market alongside Nils Koppen, the director of football recruitment.
The player trading model at Rangers
During the summer, a total of ten players joined the club. Vaclav Cerny and Neraysho Kasanwirjo arrived on loan deals lasting the season, while the other eight were permanent transfers.
Besides Robin Propper and Liam Kelly, the rest of the new arrivals are aged 25 or under, representing a shift from bringing experienced players to Ibrox, to a more youth-based approach.
Of course, doing this during a transitional spell for the Gers might not appease the Ibrox faithful, but it is evident what Clement is trying to do – sign talented young players who can go on to make the club a profit in the near future.
Player
Club signed from
Robin Propper
FC Twente
Mohamed Diomande
FC Nordsjaelland
Liam Kelly
Motherwell
Hamza Igamane
AS FAR
Clinton Nsiala
AC Milan
Jefte
Fluminense
Vaclav Cerny
Wolfsburg
Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Feyenoord
Connor Barron
Aberdeen
Oscar Cortes
Lens
Nedim Bajrami
Sassuolo
It won’t happen overnight, but the Belgian simply has to take a glance at what Celtic are doing at the other end of Glasgow to realise just how important establishing an effective player-trading model is.
They have been doing this for years. Indeed, one of their first big sales while operating under this method could lay claim to being one of the finest centre-backs in the world – Virgil Van Dijk.
Virgil Van Dijk made Celtic a massive profit
The club signed the Dutchman in the summer of 2013 for a fee in the region of £2.6m from the Eredivisie as they bid to bolster their defence.
He impressed during his two-year stint in Scotland, showcasing his class, which would eventually lead to a move to Liverpool, winning everything there is to be won in the game.
Southampton signed the centre-back in 2015 for £13m, representing a wonderful profit made on the Dutchman, despite spending only two years in Glasgow.
When he made his move to Anfield a few years later, due to Celtic’s sell-on clause, they managed to rake in another £6m for the player, meaning the move certainly paid off for the club in the long run.
This is the sort of business Rangers need to start doing in order to catch up with their rivals from a financial point of view.
Players such as Jefte, Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron are prospects who can help the Gers narrow the financial gap between the teams.
Is there a player in the current first-team squad who could have been their own Van Dijk sale a year or so ago? But his prospects don’t look as promising as they did back in 2022 – Leon King.
Leon King’s Rangers statistics
The defender had the world at his feet back in 2020 when he made his senior debut for the Light Blues against Falkirk in a League Cup clash during the 2020/21 campaign.
Steven Gerrard used that game to test out a few youngsters, with King only 16 at the time. The defender made an appearance in the league towards the end of that campaign, before featuring six times the following year, emerging as one of the most promising talents the club had produced in years.
In the summer of 2022, King was hailed by former Rangers’ defender Alan Hutton, who predicted that the youngster could have a big season ahead of him under Giovanni Van Bronkhorst.
“I’m interested to see Leon King this year,” Hutton said. “I think when I did watch him last season, he was like a big Rolls Royce, very elegant on the ball.
“He came out, kept possession and looked very comfortable for someone of such a young age.
“With the likes of Balogun leaving, Goldson signing a new contract, we know Souttar’s coming in, you need that competition for places to drive you on.”
The 2022/23 season saw King make appearances in both the Premiership and Champions League, as injury issues began to take their toll on a few defenders.
Everything was looking rosy until Michael Beale took over in December 2022. Having made 19 appearances under the Dutchman, King played just four times for Beale.
Leon King's decline at Rangers
Last season, King only made six appearances for the Ibrox side, as Clement preferred to go with more experienced players at the heart of the defence and this philosophy has continued into the current campaign.
The 20-year-old has yet to feature for the first team this term, and it looks like his potential is being wasted in the B team.
Players don’t improve unless they are given opportunities against senior teams. In the Champions League, King struggled against the likes of Liverpool and Napoli, but the experience would definitely have made him a better player.
Once thought of as the player who could be the next big sale at the club – having been the subject of interest from the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United, among others – King may find himself leaving the Gers sooner rather than later unless Clement has a change of heart.
Considering the manager is under pressure, there doesn’t seem a way into the starting XI for the Scot, who so desperately requires first-team football.
The Gers may have had their own Van Dijk in King, but it looks as though he will leave with a whimper in the near future instead.
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