In Africa, Nordsjaelland has the right to dream. However, Philippe Clement believes Rangers should start following Danes’ lead and establishing talent production as a top priority in Glasgow.
Just now, the Ibrox owner attacked the Scandinavian star factory in an attempt to steal Mohamed Diomande. Gers will have to pay £4.3 million this summer to acquire the highly-rated Ivory Coast Under-23 player, should the first loan become permanent. The new manager of the 22-year-old midfield prodigy is confident that the money was properly spent, and the large Belgian thinks the deal will turn a profit in the years to come.
But Clement has admitted that if the Gers maintain depending on other people to train their first squad, their chances of competing with their competitors both domestically and internationally will be severely limited. Nordsjaelland has achieved success in that area because of a partnership with Ghana’s renowned Right to Dream program.
The Danes have made millions thanks to RTD graduates like Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana, who are now playing for West Ham and Southampton in England. The agreement allows the Danes to recruit some of the best young African talent before moving them to Europe, where they are regularly moved on for huge returns.
The £18 million move of Diomande’s former teammate Ibrahim Osman to Davie Moyes’ Hammers could overshadow the Diomande-to-Gers deal this month. And Clement believes the Light Blues should take a cue from it.
“Obviously,” he replied. That is among the topics I have been discussing with the club as well.
They were aware of that from the moment I entered the building, and it was also one of the factors that led them to ultimately select me. My attention has always been focused on helping young athletes improve.
“Take a look at Genk, where we had a promising young player named Leandro Trossard. Another young player that played for Sheffield United was Sander Berge. At the age of 18, we acquired Jhon Lucumi, a young Colombian talent. Joakim Maehle, who currently plays for Atlanta, was also a very young player.
“There was also a lot in Brugge.” Axel Disasi and Aurelien Tchouameni, along with other talented players, were emerging and flourishing in Monaco.
Thus, it’s crucial as a club cannot thrive if its members are just consumers. The club cannot survive if there is no profit. Therefore, we must develop a model that makes money from transfers.
“It’s essential because without that model, a club cannot thrive in Europe where things are changing. Players must be recruited, and after a while, they must be sold for a profit.
“You must either take that action or have an investor that contributes outrageous sums of money each year. We require a transfer model in order to expand since we are not a club like that.
“You go backwards if you don’t improve because other teams in Europe are improving.” as well as in the league. Thus, this paradigm is essential; it’s really evident.
Regarding Diomande’s integration into his team, Clement has a very specific idea in mind. The new signing’s Premiership match against St Mirren in Paisley this afternoon will come too soon because he is still awaiting approval from the home office for his visa application.
However, the Ibrox manager is eager to involve his fresh midfield talent. “Diomande possesses a great deal of adaptability,” stated the Light Blues manager.
He can play as a No. 10, a six, or an eight. He can also play in defensive midfield. His versatility as a left winger and full-back attests to his strong technical skills and boundless sprinting ability. The intriguing part is that he has the self-control to play defense, but he’s also
“I’m not sure when he’ll be able to play yet. As I have stated, I want to observe his physical attributes and personality first.
He must adjust to the group dynamic and the style of play in general. He is a signing who intends to stay for a few years rather than the next month.
It has to do with how quickly he moves. He doesn’t just walk onto the squad and take his spot; you have to work for that. Both on the practice field and during games, you must demonstrate that.
Steven Davis is checking out at Ibrox after making the decision to hang up his boots, while Diomande is checking in. Clement’s ability to affect the game as a seasoned Ibrox figure has been diminished due to a severe knee injury. Yet, he has extended an invitation to join his back-room team and expects to use it around the training grounds.
After Davis’ brief tenure as interim manager, Clement worked with the Northern Irishman for a few weeks. He stated: “Honestly, I don’t know Davo that long but it was intense already because you step into a new club.”
“I requested that the club keep collaborating with the on-site staff to get to know everyone, as it was crucial for me to quickly become acquainted with the club.” We didn’t have six weeks to prepare, so there was no time to waste and we had to make the proper choices right away.
“Davo was a big help in that regard. We had a great working relationship until he abruptly decided he wanted to continue playing and return after recovering. After doing that for a few months, he decided to stop.
“Now that he’s a legend of the club and I liked our working relationship, my staff is always open if he wants to return one day.” He is a person that leads by example in the dressing room, so having him in the building is always exciting.
