Compared to this time last year, Glasgow Rangers transfer activity is looking fairly exciting. Philippe Clement has overhauled the club’s transfer strategy that had been used by his predecessors, preferring to sign young talent as opposed to ageing players eyeing one final payday.
So far, Jefte, Oscar Cortes, Connor Barron and Mohammed Diomande have all joined the Ibrox side. Every one of them is aged 22 or under. Liam Kelly also joined, but the goalkeeper will act as a backup to Jack Butland for the season ahead.
This clearly shows how much faith Clement is placing in young talent ahead of the new season. Is it a gamble? Of course, but something has to give, especially if the Light Blues want to win their first Premiership title since 2021.
One problem the club has had in the past is failing to target players already plying their trade in Scotland. Not only do they know the league, but they can sometimes be much cheaper than someone from outside Scotland.
The Gers have enjoyed plenty of success like this previously, with a notable example being Kris Boyd, who spent five years at Rangers over two spells.
Kris Boyd’s Rangers statistics
Sometimes, the answer to a problem lies closer than first imagined. During the 2005/06 season, Rangers were struggling in the league, trailing Celtic in the chase for the title as Alex McLeish failed to get his team firing.
He needed goals. Kris Boyd had been on fire for Kilmarnock during the first half of the campaign, scoring 15 goals in just 19 league appearances for the Ayrshire side, emerging as one of the best strikers in the top flight.
A bid of around £400k was accepted by Killie in December 2005 and Boyd was on the move to Glasgow. It certainly proved to be an inspiring signing, adding a much-needed clinical threat in front of goal while adding a homegrown player to the squad.
Boyd went on to feature 190 times for the Light Blues during his first spell at the club, scoring a remarkable tally of 127 goals in the process.
Season
Games
Goals
2014/15
43
10
2009/10
40
26
2008/09
40
28
2007/08
34
28
2006/07
28
23
2005/06
19
17
It's safe to say he repaid the £400k back and then some, helping the Gers to win two league titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups between 2006 and 2010.
Clement must be keen on taking a deeper look into the talent on offer in the Premiership, hoping that he can repeat the Boyd masterclass from 18 years ago.
Might this come sooner rather than later? As the Belgian is reportedly showing an interest in a striker who terrorised Rangers last season…
Rangers eyeing up move for Canadian centre-forward
According to a report from the Athletic last week, the Ibrox side are showing plenty of interest in signing Motherwell striker Theo Bair this summer, although there are teams in Germany who are also keen on making a move for the player.
Signing players from the same league used to be commonplace when Walter Smith and McLeish were in charge, yet the previous few years have seen this trend buckled.
Clement recently added Connor Barron to his squad after his contract expired at Aberdeen. Could he now make an approach for Bair?
While he isn’t Scottish like Boyd, the youngster does know where the back of the net and enjoyed a wonderful campaign for the Steelmen last season, which could see him settle in at Ibrox fairly easily.
Theo Bair’s season in numbers
The 6 foot 3 Canadian first moved to Scotland in 2022, joining St Johnstone. He only managed to score once in 38 games for the club, however, and it looked like Motherwell were taking a risk signing him last summer.
They shouldn’t have worried. Fast-forward 12 months and Bair ended the 2023/24 season with 15 goals and six assists across 41 matches for the club, a wonderful return.
Bair ranked first among his teammates for goals and assists (21) in the top flight last season, while also ranking first for shots on target per game (0.8), fourth for key passes per game (0.9), fourth for big chances created (six) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.6).
These statistics clearly prove he offers much more than just a clinical threat in the opposition penalty area, which he proved against Rangers at Ibrox in March.
Theo Bair’s performance against Rangers in numbers
Rangers hadn’t lost domestically in 2024 coming into the game against Well at the start of March, closing down Celtic in the hunt for the title.
Bair thrived during the match, causing havoc against the likes of Connor Goldson and John Souttar at the heart of the Ibrox defence, pulling them all over the shop in a bid to give his team a chance of all three points.
Not only did the Canadian score the opening goal during the tie, but he also made one key pass, took three total shots and succeeded with 50% of his attempted dribbles.
No wonder he was hailed as a “handful” by coach Stuart Kettlewell back in February following his wonderful displays in the top flight, while the manager even claimed that Bair is “unplayable at times” and he certainly demonstrated that against Clement’s men a few months ago.
The move could hinge on how much Motherwell will demand for one of their prized assets, but if it is a reasonable fee, then the move is surely a no-brainer for the Belgian coach.
Bair has shown that he can shine in Scotland, and a move for the striker will add some much-needed depth to the attacking options available to the 50-year-old.
With six signings already this summer, it is clear that an overhaul is happening in Glasgow right now. It should have really happened a few summers ago, but hopefully, this is the moment when Rangers emerge from the shadows to finally take their place as the top dog in Scotland next season.
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