CORTES FITS A RISKY PATTERN
THERE looks to be a pattern emerging at Ibrox to fit this transfer window.
It might alternatively be known as Rangers manager Philippe Clement playing a dangerous game.
All of the signings made so far fall readily into the category of being moderately priced and able to be termed projects rather than automatic first-team picks.
In other words, it’s what looks suspiciously like the Celtic model of recent times where you buy low and look to sell big at some point in the future.
Except that Celtic are now in the process of having to offload a series of development signings who were found seriously wanting almost at the point of arrival in Glasgow.
The only exception to the rule at Ibrox is Oscar
Cortes, who’s on his own in terms of risk strategy.
Whether he comes good or goes horribly wrong, Rangers have to pay his parent club, Lens, a fee of £4.5million at the end of the season to come.
The words of the former Rangers striker Marco Negri, relating to the purchase of Clinton Nsiala from AC Milan last week, were informative and startling at the same time.
Negri said: “In a couple of years’ time, if he continues to improve the way he has, it could turn out to be a great signing.”
A couple of years? Rangers need everybody to be oven-ready in a couple of months.
I’m hearing Celtic have a few transfer deals done, but as yet unannounced, and good money has been set aside for more experienced additions to a Doublewinning squad.
Brendan Rodgers’ judgment in the transfer market over two spells in charge of Celtic could not be accurately described as flawless, of course.
At least he’s working from a position of financial strength, as well as having a league and cup Double platform to prop him up.
Clement has lost a nucleus of veterans such as John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe.
And the belief is they’d take money for Ben Davies, Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence to bolster their summer transfer kitty.
Meanwhile, there’s talk of a tribunal to settle a fee for Connor Barron if he elects to go to Ibrox when his Aberdeen contract expires at the end of the month.
And a fee of £800,000 could close the deal for Bayern Munich winger Yusuf Kabadayi, adhering to the trend begun by bringing in the Brazilian, Jefte, from Cyprus.
Clement needs to handle the pressure that comes with being project manager of the Rangers rebuild over the summer months.
And he needs to be more self-assured than when three words from
Rodgers tipped him over the edge towards the end of last season.
His rival saying Celtic would have a “bit of fun” in the final Old Firm league derby of the championship saw Clement explode and then implode.
It’s his judgment of a player that now requires a cool head as there can be no margin for error.
Last transfer window, Philippe was told by fans the signing of Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland could be the game-changer in a tight title race.
The manager rejected the idea along with the league’s top goal-scorer.
We’ll never know what Shankland might have done because the transfer never happened.
What does seem obvious is Rangers’ need for more case-hardened signings now than have been made since the close season began.