Summary Rangers making proactive moves in transfer window to bolster squad with young talent and experienced leaders. Connor Barron impressed in Scottish Premiership last season, showing good defensive skills and potential to grow. Potential signing Kenny McLean could provide valuable experience and leadership to help develop young players.
Glasgow Rangers have not been messing about this summer as they have acted quickly and decisively to bolster Philippe Clement's playing squad.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work to secure several deals during the transfer window, which only officially opened for business earlier this month.
Oscar Cortes has been snapped up on a second loan from Lens, with an obligation to make it permanent next summer, left-back Jefte has joined from Fluminense, centre-back Clinton Nsiala will join from AC Milan next month, and midfielder Connor Barron has joined from Aberdeen.
The Gers are also reportedly keen on Motherwell forward Theo Bair and are said to be closing in on the signing of Morocco U23 international Hamza Igamane.
It has also been reported that the club are in advanced talks over a deal to snap up German forward Yusuf Kabadayi from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for £1m.
The completed moves and the ones reported to be in the works show that Koppen is not resting in his efforts to bolster the squad, and the Belgian chief is now looking at an experienced addition to the side.
Rangers showing interest in Scotland international
After the signing of Barron, the Light Blues are reportedly looking to add another player to their midfield ranks as they are keen on a deal for Norwich City ace Kenny McLean.
According to the Daily Record, the Gers are ready to make a move for the Scotland international, who played for his country at the European Championship in Germany.
The report claims that the 32-year-old dynamo is one of the players on Koppen and Clement's list of targets as they look to improve the team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
It states that the Rangers recruitment team tracked the Scottish gem at the end of last season, as he competed in the Championship with the Canaries, and at the European Championship before his side's exit from the group stages at the weekend.
The Daily Record adds, though, that any move will be dependent on whether or not Norwich are prepared to cash in on their midfielder, who has two years left to run on his current contract.
Johannes Hoff Thorup has been appointed as their new manager, replacing David Wagner, and needs to evaluate his squad in pre-season before making any decisions, which may mean that the Gers have to wait to find out if McLean is an attainable target this summer.
If Koppen can get a deal over the line for the left-footed talent, though, then he could form an excellent partnership with fellow countryman Barron in the middle of the park.
Connor Barron's Premiership form for Aberdeen
The 21-year-old ace is coming off the back of an impressive season with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, as he proved his quality in the division at a young age.
Barron played in 29 of his team's 38 matches in the top-flight and caught the eye with his contributions both in and out of possession in midfield.
On the ball, the Scottish youngster chipped in with one goal and three assists in 24 starts, with four 'big chances' created for his teammates in total.
He is not an outstanding offensive force who is likely to contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis but could make a healthy contribution from a deep-lying position.
On the other hand, Barron's work out of possession is particularly impressive as he dominated opposition players in midfield for the Dons last term.
Appearances
29
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.8
Ball recoveries per game
5.3
Ground duel success rate
53%
Aerial duel success rate
69%
As you can see in the table above, the young Scot won the majority of his battles on the deck and in the air, with a particularly dominant aerial duel success rate.
He also made 8.1 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for Aberdeen, which shows that the new Rangers signing can consistently win possession back for his side each match.
At the age of 21, Barron also has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come and playing alongside someone with the experience that McLean has could be invaluable.
Why Rangers should sign Kenny McLean
Whilst there is a clear emphasis on signing young players with potential to grow, like Barron, Nsiala, Cortes, Igamane, and Jefte, the Gers will also need experienced leaders to help those prospects through the season.
McLean, 32, played over 250 Premiership games in his career before his move to Norwich in the summer of 2018, where he has since racked up 228 appearances.
The left-footed midfielder played 68 times in the Premier League and has featured in 139 Championship games to date for the Canaries, which shows that he has plenty of experience at a high level in Scotland and in England.
Therefore, McLean could have plenty of wisdom to impart to Barron during their time together at Ibrox, to help the 21-year-old prospect to fulfill his potential.
He is also coming off the back of an impressive campaign in the second tier with Norwich, as they finished sixth in the division to make the play-offs.
Appearances
46
Assists
5
Pass accuracy
84%
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.2
Ball recoveries per game
6.0
As you can see in the table above, McLean, like Barron, has the defensive quality and athleticism to consistently win the ball back for his side, as well as the creativity to chip in with assists.
The £25k-per-week midfielder, who was once dubbed "irreplacable" by ex-boss Daniel Farke, also showcased his physical dominance with a ground duel success rate of 62%, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him in battles on the deck.
These statistics suggest that he has similar attributes to Barron and that is why he could be the perfet, experienced, mentor to help the former Aberdeen man to thrive at Ibrox moving forward.
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At the age of 32, the Canaries star could provide quality, with his defensive and offensive contributions, on the pitch immediately whilst also using his experience to improve the youngster for the future.
