Philippe Clement is looking to bolster his Rangers squad in one area of the pitch, and it looks as though his wish will be granted by Ibrox chiefs in the January transfer window.
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The international break has allowed Clement to regroup, during a pressurised period for the Belgian, as he desperately battles to keep his job as manager.
This season hasn’t been a convincing one at Ibrox to date, with Champions League elimination coming Rangers’ way early in the campaign, and some patchy results and performances on show in both the Scottish Premiership and Europa League, too. For that reason, some supporters have lost faith in their boss, who now has to prove himself all over again after the internationals.
Clement will know the importance of adding quality to his squad midway through the season, giving it an injection of fresh blood and handing the Gers the best possible chance of pipping Celtic to title glory. Midtjylland youngster Dario Osorio has been linked with a move to the club, having excitingly been compared to Argentina legend Angel Di Maria.
Meanwhile, former Ranger hero Andy Halliday has urged his old club to “go and sign” Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron, with the 22-year-old a talented young player who could act as an eye-catching long-term addition at Ibrox.
Rangers eyeing specific signing in January
Now, according to a fresh update from Football Insider, Rangers will aim to sign a defensive midfielder of some kind in the January window, with a “cut-price deal” mooted due to the club’s financial situation.
It is stated that Clement feels the Gers are “light in defensive midfield and would like to add a powerhouse operator but admits the club’s financial situation makes it tricky”. The report also goes on to add that the manager likes “two defensive-minded midfielders to shield the back-line but currently only has Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande suited to do so.”
This will be music to the ears of Clement, who clearly feels that he doesn’t quite have the options that he craves in the middle of the park, seeing it as such an important area of the pitch, in terms of balance and giving the defence enough cover.
There have certainly been times this season when Rangers have looked too open in midfield, not least during the 4-1 defeat at home to Lyon in the Europa League earlier this month, and bringing in an expert No.6 on the cheap in January could make complete sense.
To only have Raskin and Diomande in those positions simply isn’t enough, especially when it comes to matching Celtic’s depth and keeping in touch with them in the title race, so an added face is vital.
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That said, it remains to be seen if Clement will still be in charge at Rangers by the time the January window arrives, and results and displays in the coming weeks look set to determine whether that will be the case or not.
