Glasgow Rangers jet off to their midseason training camp in La Manga as they soak up the sun in Spain with hopes that they can hit the ground running when the domestic season resumes on 20 January.
Philippe Clement has already made his first signing, luring Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan until the end of the season, and if he replicates the form he displayed last season, then he could be a hit with the fans – having scored 16 goals across spells with PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht.
This early move has supporters salivating at just who could be next to arrive at Ibrox and there have already been a few names linked in recent weeks.
There has been a recent update on a defender that Clement was showing interest in however, as Nathaniel Adjei is still a target for the Belgian.
Rangers transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei
The Light Blues first began to show interest in the defender at the start of November, as Sky Sports reported that the club were monitoring his progress, while even sending a scout to watch him in action for Swedish side Hammarby.
It isn’t just the Ibrox side who are showing interest, however, as Celtic are also keen alongside a host of European clubs and his displays in Scandinavia have clearly put him on the map.
A new update from Swedish journalist Ola Gustavsson shows that Hammarby have already rejected bids of £2m for the player as they look to secure a fee of £4m for their prized asset.
Speaking to Fotboll Direkt, he said: “The Stockholmers have also been offered over 25 million (Swedish Krone) for Nathaniel Adjei, who ended the season so excitingly.
“But the price is a good distance from expectations considering how young and ‘developable’ the Ghanaian is. (Their reluctance to sell Adjei on the cheap is) completely logical considering the interest I previously explained”
“(Adjei is wanted by) Standard Liege, KAA Gent and Anderlecht. Add to that Leeds, Celtic and Rangers.”
It certainly appears that the Gers face some stiff competition for the youngster, yet with the chance to regularly challenge for trophies alongside playing in European competition, a move to Rangers has its advantages.
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While the centre-back area might not be an immediate concern for Clement, securing the services of a player such as Adjei could be crucial for the future, and he would make for a wonderful partner alongside Connor Goldson.
Rangers require a steady partner for Connor Goldson
The 49-year-old coach has Ben Davies, Leon Balogun, John Souttar and Leon King as options to slot in alongside the Englishman, although he has yet to find a solid partnership since taking charge.
Balogun has been impressive and holds the advantage of featuring next to Goldson between 2020 and 2022 during his first spell at the club. His contract expires at the end of the season, however, and it is unlikely he will remain for 2024/25.
Davies has failed to live up to his £4m transfer fee since joining in 2022, and he was close to securing a move to Stoke City in the summer transfer window last year as Michael Beale looked to get him off the wage bill.
Souttar has impressed in spells since joining on a free transfer, but he is prone to suffering frequent injuries and, unfortunately, he simply cannot be trusted to be ready for a full season. The Scot missed 46 games last season and, so far this campaign, he has been unavailable for a few games due to various knocks.
King is still young and could be a wonderful option in the future, but Goldson requires someone who is ready to play regularly at the highest level and a swoop for Adjei could be shrewd.
Nathaniel Adjei’s career statistics
The Ghanaian titan made his professional debut for Hammarby during the 2022 Allsvenskan season, turning out three times in total, and this gave him a decent base to work from ahead of the 2023 campaign.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough term as he ended up making 21 appearances for the club, chipping in with a goal and showcasing his talents that have clearly ended up catching the eye of various clubs around the continent.
69.4
40.8
5.4
4
9.5
7.5
1.5
1
0.8
0.7
The defender ended the season ranked fifth among the squad for accurate passes per game (40.8), while also finishing third for accurate long balls per game (3.5) and for clearances per game (2.7).
The youngster also won an impressive four total duels per game in the league last term – a success rate of 61% – and this demonstrates excellent physicality which could stand him in good stead should he make the move to Scotland.
Adjei has also secured two caps for the Ghana U23 side recently and, while he wasn’t chosen for the team that will play in the Africa Cup of Nations competition this month, it won't be long before he makes his full international debut for his nation.
Analysing the defender amid the rumours linking him with a move to Ibrox, Kai Watson, founder of the Rangers Journal, dubbed the Ghanian centre-back as a “physical monster” and the Gers need another physical centre-back to partner Goldson.
The Ibrox side currently have the best defence in the Premiership, conceding just 11 goals in their opening 20 matches, although much of this has to do with the excellent goalkeeping from summer signing Jack Butland rather than a resolute defence.
Of course, the back four have impressed in spells, but the changing of defensive partners for Goldson doesn’t exactly help things.
While Clement may be keen on improving his attacking department this month, especially with Danilo missing the next four months due to injury and the poor record of Cyriel Dessers, the onus will be on him to secure up-and-coming talent for a decent fee, regardless of the position.
The former Club Brugge coach has plenty of credit in the bank having won the League Cup before Christmas and he could further endear himself to the supporters by making another couple of impressive signings before the January transfer window slams shut in a few weeks.