Glasgow Rangers managed to sign three new players during the January transfer window, as Fabio Silva, Mohammed Diomande and Oscar Cortes all arrived in Glasgow.
The main talking point was the failure to bring in another centre-forward on deadline day, yet it appears as though Philippe Clement is comfortable with the players he currently has until the end of the season.
The Ibrox faithful will continue to place their trust in the Belgian, especially after his wonderful start to life at the Light Blues. Not only has he guided the club to their first League Cup trophy since 2011, but also to the last 16 of the Europa League, along with dragging the Gers back into the title fight.
His three signings will all offer something different, and they may even prove to be the difference between finishing the season with one trophy or ending it with three.
Diomande is the obvious standout, as the young Ivorian joined from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy and his future looks extraordinarily bright.
Mohammed Diomande has a big future at Rangers
The midfielder is set to cost the Ibrox side a fee in the region of £4.3m, indicating that Clement is clearly confidence the player will be a success at Rangers.
During his spell in Denmark, the 22-year-old made 111 appearances for Nordsjaelland, scoring 13 goals, and grabbing 14 assists in the process, demonstrating his forward-thinking abilities.
With an average pass success rate of 89% in the Danish top flight during the 2023/24 campaign, Diomande is also excellent at dictating the play, while he ranked fifth among the squad for tackles per game (1.4) and fourth for interceptions per game (0.8), suggesting that he does not shirk away from his defensive responsibilities either.
It looks as though the Gers have managed to sign a midfielder who can not only contribute going forward but is also able to provide a defensive barrier when Rangers don’t have the ball and these skills could be vital over the next few months.
He was not the only midfielder that the Light Blues were interested in, however, as Clement was reportedly keen on making a move for Croatian gem Marko Bulat last month, and he may indeed have been a more attractive option than Diomande to feature in the midfield.
Rangers were showing interest in Marko Bulat
According to Football Scotland, the Gers ‘checked on the conditions’ of Bulat during the winter window as they looked to bolster their midfield area.
The report stated that the 22-year-old was keen on a move away from Dinamo Zagreb, yet the Croatian side were valuing him at around the £5m mark and this was perhaps the only stumbling block for the Light Blues.
His profile certainly fitted the bill with regard to what Clement was hoping to build in the future; a young and hungry midfield with plenty of passion and the potential to make the club a big profit over the next few years.
The Belgian manager faces the prospect of six players leaving for nothing at the end of the season due to their contracts expiring.
Ryan Jack and John Lundstram are among those six and while the Englishman deserves another year at least, the Scot has suffered from too many injury issues recently and should be thanked for his services and moved on this summer.
Bulat, then, would have made an ideal Jack heir should he have joined Rangers last month.
The stats that show why Marko Bulat would have been a good signing for Rangers
Since joining the club, Jack has made over 200 appearances for the Gers, winning every major honour in Scotland over the previous seven years.
The 31-year-old has also missed a grand total of 118 matches through injury since 2017 and these niggles are unlikely to stop as he ages.
Domestic statistics this season
Marko Bulat
Ryan Jack
Goals
3
1
Accurate passes per game
22.1
25.1
Key passes per game
1.4
0.6
Total duels won
2.8
0.6.
Tackles per game
1
0.2
While Diomande is a more forward-thinking central midfielder, Bulat prefers to operate in a slightly deeper role, similar to that of Jack, and this suggests he would have been an ideal replacement for the former Aberdeen starlet.
The youngster was even compared to Croatian midfield icon Ivan Rakitic by Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson, who said:
“From watching Bulat and looking at the numbers, he reminds me of a young Ivan Rakitić. He’s a box-to-box midfielder who is a very capable defender and a goal scoring threat. Technically gifted and intelligent in and out of possession, hence the Rakitić comparison.”
Bulat has already played 173 senior matches since making his professional debut in the 2017/18 season, which demonstrates how much experience he has already racked up in such a short space of time.
For Zagreb this season, Bulat ranks highly across a range of metrics, including third for shots per game (2.2), sixth for key passes per game (1.4) and for goals and assists (five), made even more impressive due to the fact he has missed a few matches due to injury.
There was no way Clement could have splashed out £5m on Bulat alongside signing Diomande and, while the Ivorian may be an excellent option to call upon in the middle of the pitch, might the 49-year-old manager have missed a trick by missing out on the Croatian?
Only time will tell in that regard, but the statistics certainly suggest that the 22-year-old could have been the ideal long-term replacement for Jack, who looks certain to leave Ibrox this summer.
With a busy few months ahead, Diomande will need to hit the ground running if he looks to impress the Ibrox faithful and, considering his past performances, there is no doubt he is capable of shining in Scotland.
Like any transfer window, there are always players that clubs miss out on and eventually go on to play at a higher level. Bulat could perhaps be one such name who will star at a level above the Scottish Premiership in the next few years.
If Clement does have the budget in the summer, and Bulat is keen, a concrete move should be made for the midfielder, who is set to enjoy a wonderful career.
