Glasgow Rangers appear to finally be clicking into gear. The Europa League victory over Malmö last week was arguably the finest display by the Ibrox side this season.
It was certainly a disappointing start to the campaign, with several disjointed performances allowing the likes of Celtic and Aberdeen to race ahead of the Gers in the Premiership title race.
The games will come thick and fast between now and Christmas, with the Light Blues chasing success both domestically and on the continent.
Philippe Clement will be buoyed by the performances of some of his new signings in recent weeks, something he will hope to continue over the coming weeks.
Clement’s summer signings are starting to gel
Jefte has been one of the most impressive summer signings by the Belgian as he looked to add some depth to the left-back area of the squad.
With Ridvan Yilmaz suffering an injury, the Brazilian has taken full advantage, emerging as the first choice option on the left side of the defence and showcasing his talents.
Connor Barron is another youngster who arrived in the summer transfer window who is also making his mark in the team. Against Malmö, the former Aberdeen starlet made four interceptions, won two of his three ground duels and took 53 touches during the game.
It is clear that Clement is building for the future, as well as the present, but he did add some experience to the side too.
Player
Club signed from
Connor Barron
Aberdeen
Clinton Nsiala
AC Milan
Mohamed Diomande
FC Nordsjaelland
Liam Kelly
Motherwell
Hamza Igamane
AS FAR
Jefte
Fluminense
Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Feyenoord (loan)
Vaclav Cerny
Wolfsburg (loan)
Nedim Bajrami
Sassuolo
Robin Propper
FC Twente
Vaclav Cerny, Nedim Bajrami and Robin Propper have plenty of experience playing across Europe, which could have plenty of advantages.
The former two enjoyed impressive starts to their time at the Gers, and while it has taken Propper a few weeks to really settle into life in Glasgow, it looks as though he has finally formed a decent partnership with John Souttar.
How much Rangers paid to sign Robin Propper
With Connor Goldson leaving Rangers in the summer, it became evident that another experienced defender was required heading into the campaign.
While he could call upon Souttar, Leon Balogun and Ben Davies at his disposal, Clement wanted another player, which led to Propper making the move from FC Twente to Glasgow.
The 31-year-old only cost the Light Blues a fee in the region of £1.5m, which certainly appeared to be a bargain given his experience in the Eredivisie.
He was hailed by Clement upon his arrival in Glasgow at the start of August, who said: “We are thrilled to welcome Robin to Rangers and he will be an excellent addition to our squad.
“As a defender he is powerful and has great attributes, which include the experience he has gained from his years playing in the Netherlands and the leadership qualities he has shown from being the captain of FC Twente.”
Despite adding some young talent, Clement saw Propper as a player who would go straight into the starting XI. After a few games of finding his feet, he is now settled into the starting XI, that’s for sure.
Robin Propper’s Rangers statistics
When compared to his positional peers across similar leagues, Propper ranked in the top 19% for aerials won per 90, while also ranking in the top 9% for passes attempted and in the top 7% for progressive passes per 90, showcasing his impressive passing ability, especially in moving the ball forwards.
That was in the previous 12 months for Twente and the hope is he can replicate these statistics for the Light Blues over the next few years.
In the Premiership this term, Propper has succeeded with 92% of his passes, firmly backing up his stats from last season, while the centre-back has also won 7.3 total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – which proves that he comes off better in one-on-one battles more often than not in the top flight.
He delivered arguably his finest performance in a Rangers shirt during the win over the Swedish side last week.
Partnered alongside Souttar, the Dutchman was rock solid at the heart of the defence, making six clearances while he also wasn’t dribbled past once during the match, yet again displaying his impressive physical characteristics.
It is still early in his spell with the club, but the initial signs are certainly promising that he can live up to his previous success in the Netherlands and become a player Clement can trust, both in Europe and domestically this season.
Despite only joining the Gers in the summer, his market valuation has already soared, which is further evidence that Clement made the right call in signing him for the club.
Robin Propper’s market valuation
While paying £1.5m for a defender who was turning 31 in a few weeks may have been questioned, the move looks like it could pay off for Clement.
Indeed, according to Football Transfers, Propper is now currently valued at €4.5m (£3.8m), which represents an increase on the fee that the club paid for him at the start of August.
Despite it being only a few weeks, Propper is already worth over 150% more than the £1.5m transfer fee, which proves that the club struck gold on his signing.
Depending on how he continues to perform, could this value continue to rise? Despite Propper turning 31 recently?
Market Movers
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Only time will tell with regard to this, but it looks as though his first few weeks in Scotland will be an indicator of his future displays.
More of the same will be expected in the coming weeks, but if he and Souttar can continue to play well together and develop their chemistry, then Propper might be one of the finest signings Clement made during his time as manager of Rangers.
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