Glasgow Rangers boss Philippe Clement faces his biggest test at Hampden on Sunday as a place in the League Cup final is up for grabs.
Hearts stand in his way and the Belgian will surely take some confidence from the fact the Gers scored twice in injury time in their Premiership clash with the same opposition just last week to secure an unlikely victory.
The Light Blues have not won the League Cup since 2011, losing two finals since – both to Celtic – and it represents an ideal chance for Clement to bag a trophy within just a couple of months of taking charge at the club.
All eyes are on the semi-final however and the 49-year-old faces a tough task in who he will pick for his starting XI given their stunning 5-0 away win over Dundee in midweek.
The squad depth is poor and the former Club Brugge boss has had to put up with a mini-injury crisis, with the likes of Kemar Roofe, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and John Souttar all on the sidelines.
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and could Clement bring in another player or two to add some much-needed depth to the squad, while also building for the future?
Rangers transfer news
With this in mind, it appears as though the Gers are showing interest in Nathaniel Adjei, a 21-year-old centre-back who plays for Swedish side Hammarby.
That’s according to Sky Sports, who also claim that Celtic are monitoring his progress, while there are also teams in Italy and Belgium who are keeping tabs on the youngster ahead of a potential swoop.
The Swedish league season finishes in the middle of November, and it looks as though he could assess his options over the coming weeks, giving the Light Blues a perfect chance to make their pitch and bring him to Glasgow.
The report states that Rangers have sent a representative to watch him in recent weeks and Clement has outlined that he could turn to the transfer window in order to make a few signings.
Speaking last month, he said: “I am here to build the team and make them stronger – that is where my focus lies and not on any external noise.
“We need to work hard in the coming weeks and months to see what we need to do in January. With injuries, you need to find solutions but we had players who were able to step in and that is what I expect.”
This suggests he could be targeting January as a time to strengthen and this will give the Ibrox faithful a big boost knowing that there could be some more additions arriving.
Adjei could become a long-term heir for Connor Goldson, and he could certainly learn a thing or two from the Englishman, who has been a mainstay in the team this season.
Connor Goldson’s season in numbers
Since joining Rangers back in the summer of 2018 under former manager Steven Gerrard, Goldson is arguably one of the most experienced players in the current squad.
He has made 280 appearances for the club and has started all but one match this season, registering one assist in the process.
19
0
38
3
61
4
56
8
52
4
54
4
Goldson currently ranks second across the squad for accurate passes per game in the league (72.4), along with ranking third for tackles (1.6) and fourth for clearances (2.5) per game while the defender has won a staggering 70% of his total duels this term – which works out as 5.7 every single match – and his defensive performances have been solid of late.
Unfortunately, he won't be at Rangers forever and Clement will be eyeing up players who can come into the team and be a long-term successor for the 30-year-old and Adjei looks like he would be an ideal signing.
Nathaniel Adjei’s career statistics
Sky Sports journalist David Reed dubbed the youngster as “one to watch” when giving a recent update surrounding Rangers’ interest in the player.
The 21-year-old has made just 29 appearances for the Swedish side since making his debut in 2022, but his performances obviously caught the eye of the Ghana U23 side, as he has secured two caps for his country at youth level, and he will be looking to make the break through onto the senior stage.
A move to a club like Rangers, where he will receive greater exposure alongside playing in a stronger league would certainly help his ambitions in the long run and this could be an advantage for Clement in his chase for the young starlet.
During the 2023 Allsvenskan season, Adjei currently ranks fifth for accurate passes per game (40.1) across the Hammarby squad while also ranking third for accurate long balls per game (3.6) and third for clearances per game (2.9), indicating that despite his tender years, he has still had a positive influence on the team.
Like Goldson, the youngster is also impressive with regard to one-on-one duels as the Ghanaian has won 3.8 total duels per game – a success rate of 64% – while he has only been dribbled past on 0.2 occasions per game.
These statistics demonstrate that Adjei is a strong, capable defender who can also be relied on to play the ball out from the back with ease and these qualities are exactly what Clement is looking for in his centre-backs.
The Gers have conceded just one goal in four matches under the new manager, and it looks as though he has done wonders with the current defence.
The January window has been kind to Rangers in recent seasons. Under Beale last term, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin arrived, while players such as Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara both signed for the club midway through the season and if Clement manages to repeat these past success stories, he will be praised.
First and foremost however is securing a win against Hearts on Sunday in order to progress to their third League Cup final in the previous five seasons.
With Celtic out of the equation, there is no excuse for failure now and winning the competition for the 28th time could be the catalyst for future success.
