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“Fans always criticize them”- Philippe Clement Hits Back at Critics, Claims Three Rangers Stars Are Silencing the Doubters
Rangers’ recent recruitment may have faced its fair share of scrutiny, but as Nils Koppen demonstrated last summer, there’s potential gold for those willing to dig a little deeper.
In the offseason, Rangers made shrewd signings, bringing in Hamza Igamane, Jefte, and Clinton Nsiala for a combined total of just over £2 million.
Igamane, with nine goals in 12 Scottish Premiership starts, is quickly becoming one of the club’s best signings in recent memory.
Jefte, a left-back from Fluminense who was initially under the radar, has earned praise for his performances, with Gordon Dalziel recently calling him a “brilliant” addition. He arrived for about £400,000. Meanwhile, Nsiala joined on a free transfer after his contract with AC Milan expired.
If Rangers were to sell these three players now, after just a few months in Scotland, they would likely make a tidy profit. Imagine their market value in a few years.
Ahead of Rangers’ Scottish Cup fourth-round clash with Highland League side Fraserburgh, manager Philippe Clement spoke to BBC Sport and expressed that those who doubted the club’s lesser-known signings from the summer of 2024 have been proven wrong.
Clement explained, “The club had a long-term plan to improve, and this is just the beginning. We’ve received a lot of criticism for bringing in players like Hamza, Jefte, and Clinton Nsiala, who hadn’t played at this level. But now, people can see why we signed them, and the story will continue to unfold over the coming months and years.”
Everton Eyeing Hamza Igamane, Nsiala Compared to Van Dijk
Igamane has been a revelation, with Premier League club Everton already showing interest. He arrived from Moroccan side RAF Rabat as an unknown, but his performances have caught the eye. Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart has assured fans that the club plans to keep him at Ibrox for the foreseeable future.
Jefte has quickly claimed the left-back position once held by Borna Barisic, and Nsiala is drawing comparisons to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk after a standout performance in Rangers’ 3-0 win over Aberdeen. In only his third Premiership appearance, Nsiala helped secure a clean sheet and assisted Leon Balogun’s stoppage-time goal while completing 91% of his passes.
Rangers winger Ross McCausland was full of praise for Nsiala: “He’s been amazing. Watching him in the past few games, we were saying he’s like a left-footed Van Dijk. It’s great to see him seize the opportunity.”
