Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to improving his squad ahead of next season.
With Brazilian left-back Jefte and Colombian winger Oscar Cortes already added to the first-team pool, the Belgian is now looking to make a third signing.
Rangers transfer news
The Light Blues have been linked with Bayern Munich winger Yusuf Kabadayi in recent days, with German reporter Florian Plettenberg breaking the news a couple of days ago.
Now, according to the 4th Official’s Patreon page (Sunday, June 9), the Ibrox side have held talks with Bayern regarding a move for the player in the coming weeks, reportedly agreeing on a fee between £1m-£1.5m to bring him to Scotland.
While Clement may have to move on a number of players to raise funds for future signings, spending around £1m on a talented attacker who could certainly increase his value sounds like a solid piece of transfer business.
It is no secret the club require some depth out wide. It looked as though Abdallah Sima was a target for Clement ahead of 2024/25, but there is no doubt Kabadayi could be an ideal alternative to the 22-year-old.
The latest on Abdallah Sima’s future at Rangers
Sima spent last season at Ibrox on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, enjoying a productive temporary spell north of the border.
Across 39 matches in all competitions, the winger scored 16 goals while chipping in with two assists. There is no doubt this figure would have been higher had he not missed a large chunk of the season with a hamstring injury.
Last month, it was reported that Rangers were looking to hold talks with Brighton over making Sima’s stay in Glasgow permanent.
It was claimed the south coast side would accept a bid of around £6m in order to let him leave, which was roughly what Brighton paid to sign him from Slavia Prague.
Metric
Sima
Kabadayi
Goals
11
4
Assists
2
0
Big chances created
2
1
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
1.1
Shots per game
2.9
1.6
While it was clear interest was there, a new update has emerged recently which could see Clement move on from Sima.
The Seagulls are currently searching for a new manager after Roberto De Zerbi left the club at the end of last season. With the hunt still ongoing, Sima’s future allegedly won’t be decided until a new head coach is appointed.
Judging by the rapid advancement of a deal to sign Kabadayi, could Clement be moving on from attempting to sign Sima this summer? Especially if he has to wait another few weeks to find out whether Brighton’s new manager wants to keep the winger.
Why Yusuf Kabadayi is a great Abdallah Sima alternative
Long gone are the days of the Light Blues signing over-the-hill players on bumper wages who offer little to no sell-on value.
Both of the Gers signings so far are exciting young talents who should see their market value soar if they impress in Scotland, giving Clement an ideal chance of making a solid profit.
Kabadayi also fits the bill with regard to this. The 20-year-old enjoyed plenty of success with a variety of youth teams at Bayern, racking up 78 appearances while scoring 29 goals and registering 11 assists.
This tally of 40 goal contributions across just 79 youth team matches is nothing to be sniffed at and shows that he has a keen eye for goal, just like Sima.
Aside from Sima scoring 16 goals last term, not another winger at the club netted more than five times, clearly showing an area which needs major improvement should Clement wish to challenge Celtic next season.
Kabadayi may have only made his senior debut last season, spending it on loan at Schalke in the 2. Bundesliga, it is evident that German youngster has plenty of potential.
Across 23 second-tier matches, the 20-year-old found the back of the net on four occasions and shone when compared to his teammates throughout 2023/24.
Kabadayi ranked fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.1) among his teammates in the German second tier last term, while also ranking third for penalties won (one) and for shots per game (1.6), demonstrating how much of a threat he is in the final third.
It wasn’t just within his own team that Kabadayi’s statistics shone through. According to FBref, when compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions, Kabadayi was more than impressive.
Indeed, he ranked in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.31) and total shots (2.82) per 90, along with ranking in the top 2% for successful take-ons (2.04) and touches in the attacking penalty area (3.92) per 90, clearly demonstrating his attacking abilities when compared with fellow wingers across a variety of leagues.
This should give Clement plenty of hope that the winger can shine in Scotland if given some consistent game time.
Rangers Journal founder profiled the player amid his recent links to the Light Blues and stated that Kabadayi is “strong, quick and good on the ball” while he was also praised by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who said in March that the youngster was “extremely prolific at youth level” and hoped that he could continue this type of form into the senior ranks.
Four goals in 23 league appearances is decent, but not spectacular. But, not every one of Clement’s signings will be the finished article. Far from that.
Both Jefte and Cortes – who are both prodigious talents – still have a long way to go in order to fulfil their wonderful potential.
Missing out on Sima may be a blow, but it looks unlikely that the manager would spend £6m on him, knowing that he has plenty of other targets in the pipeline.
Kabadayi is certainly one. With news that a move looks to be imminent, Clement may have made three signings before the club have even returned for pre-season training.
Getting the majority of his transfer business done early could prove to be the catalyst which sees the Ibrox side return to the top of the Scottish football hierarchy next season.
