Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Nils Koppen will be taking up the role of technical director at Ibrox following his stint as the head of recruitment.
The Belgian chief arrived at the start of the year and worked with Philippe Clement to develop a new transfer strategy in Glasgow – bringing in young players with the potential to improve.
He was, of course, heavily involved in the recruitment during the recent summer transfer window and it remains to be seen how successful that was, as many of the players signed are young prospects who need time to hit their stride at Ibrox.
Supporters may not be too patient with them at this moment in time, however, as results on the pitch have, quite simply, not been good enough.
The Light Blues are currently 11 points adrift of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United on Saturday.
Rangers have lost three and drawn two of their opening 12 matches in the competition, which could cause some questions to be asked of the recruitment in the summer.
How Rangers' summer signings have fared
The Light Blues brought in 11 recruits to bolster Clement’s squad in the summer transfer window, although Mohamed Diomande and Oscar Cortes joined on new deals after their short-term loan stints at Ibrox in the second half of last season.
That meant that nine fresh players were added to the group, seven of which arrived on a permanent basis to go along with the loan additions of Neraysho Kasanwirjo from Feyenoord and Vaclav Cerny from Wolfsburg.
The Bundesliga loanee has been one of the best summer signings and enjoyed a superb season so far, with a return of seven goals and five assists in 19 appearances in all competitions, which shows that he has provided quality as a scorer and a creator of goals from the wing.
Connor Barron came in on a free transfer from Aberdeen and has impressed in the middle of the park, making 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game across 11 starts in the league so far.
20-year-old full-back Jefte also came in and has caught the eye. In nine starts, across ten league appearances, the Brazilian has averaged an eye-catching 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game – more than any other player in the squad.
There needs to be a degree of patience with players like Clinton Nsiala, who is yet to make his senior debut, and Moroccan forward Hamza Igamane, though.
The 22-year-old striker has only started two of his ten appearances in the Premiership and Europa League combined and needs more time to adapt to life at Ibrox, and Scotland more broadly.
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Rangers have already hit the jackpot, however, with one signing that Koppen brought in to bolster the club in the summer, as Nedim Bajrami has hit the ground running in Glasgow.
Nedim Bajrami is similar £100m star
Over the last 365 days of action, the Albania international’s form for Sassuolo in the Serie A and for Rangers in the Europa League has earned him a comparison to a player who is currently valued at £100m.
Per FBref’s ‘similar players’ tab, Newcastle United and England forward Anthony Gordon is one of the most similar players to Bajrami over the last year in the Men’s Big 5 Leagues and European competitions.
Both players operate down the left flank but can also play centrally and look to get involved in matches by providing goals and assists in the final third.
Gordon and Bajrami both excel at carrying the ball up the pitch for their respective teams and being involved in attacks that end in a shot. The former has averaged 4.71 shot-creating actions and 4.19 progressive carries per 90 over the last 365 days, whilst the Albanian whiz has averaged 4.48 shot-creating actions and 4.23 progressive carries per 90.
In the summer, Football Insider reported that Liverpool were told a fee of £100m would be needed to sign Gordon from Newcastle, amid interest from Arne Slot’s team in the English speedster.
The left winger has scored two goals and provided one assist, having created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates, in 12 Premier League games this season, and the comparison to Bajrami – in style – is a fair one.
Nedim Bajrami's form this season
The Light Blues whiz may not have the blistering speed that Gordon possesses but that does not stop him from using his ability on the ball to beat opposition players, as shown by his progressive carries per 90.
Bajrami has completed 3.3 dribbles per game, with a 72% success rate, in the Europa League and 2.4 per match, with a 63% success rate, in the Premiership so far this season, which shows that he is constantly taking the ball past defenders to progress the team up the pitch.
Another thing that he shares with Gordon is that his teammates have not made enough of the ‘big chances’ that he has created for them this season.
In the Premiership, Bajrami has only produced one goal and zero assists in eight appearances, but that does not tell the full story. He has created four ‘big chances’ and made 1.5 key passes per game but his fellow attackers have been far too wasteful in front of goal to reward him with assists.
Appearances
4
Sofascore rating
7.80
Goals
1
Big chances created
5
Key passes per game
2.8
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old magician has been incredibly unfortunate not to have registered an assist on the European stage, with zero from five ‘big chances’ created.
Bajrami, who Willie Miller claimed has “magnificent footwork”, has created nine ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premiership and Europa League combined and is yet to record an assist.
On an individual level, his performances have been phenomenal and Rangers have hit the jackpot by signing him, as the Albania international has proven that he can provide consistent quality as a dribbler and a creative threat domestically and in Europe, and long may it continue.
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