Rangers beat Serie A clubs, teams in France and a handful of Bundesliga outfits to the signing of Clinton Nsiala, according to Chris Jack.
The Rangers Review journalist reported on Friday (14 June) that three Italian sides had made a pitch to sign the young defender in recent months while Schalke 04 and Hamburg wanted to secure his signature this summer.
On top of that, Milan had twice tried to negotiate new terms with the 20-year-old before he put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement with Philippe Clement’s side in Glasgow.
Sources close Nsiala insist that the vision of the Belgian and Nils Koppen played a key part in the defender’s decision to make the move to Ibrox ahead of the other interested parties.
Have Rangers and Philippe Clement secured any new summer transfers at Ibrox?
While Clement has had his doubters throughout his brief time in Glasgow, particularly after the poor end to the season at Ibrox, it is clear that the Belgian’s current project at Ibrox still remains incredibly appealing to young players.
For Nsiala to decide that a move to Scotland was the better decision for his career than either remaining in Milan or elsewhere in Europe speaks volumes about the pull that both the Gers and Clement still have in the transfer market.
Whether or not the 20-year-old is equipped and ready to make an immediate impact in a Rangers shirt remains to be seen. He hasn’t played much first-team football and it does seem likely he will take time to bed into his new surroundings.
But if he hits the ground running, the Light Blues may have found a defender capable of being a key part of their backline for years to come. There may be a degree of uncertainty with this signing, but it is certainly a risk worth taking.
