Glasgow Rangers will head into the busy festive spell over Christmas and New Year full of confidence having claimed the first trophy of the campaign.
Philippe Clement led his team to their first League Cup trophy since 2011 following a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden over the weekend and this will hopefully be a catalyst for plenty more success to come.
Rangers titan was their "best player" alongside Balogun in League Cup final
Rangers won their 28th League Cup after defeating Aberdeen at Hampden
ByRoss Kilvington
The victory shouldn’t deter the boss from delving into the January transfer window and making a few new signings, however, as some areas of his squad remain weak.
Rangers transfer news – Centre-back hunt
With the winter window fast approaching, there have already been some names being mentioned with a January move to Rangers.
According to 90min, the Light Blues have shown interest in Everton defender Ben Godfrey in the previous few weeks, while Mason Holgate, another Goodison Park centre-back, is also being touted for a move north of the border.
Clement is also looking closer to home for talent, as current Motherwell youngster Lennon Miller appears to be on his radar and signing Scottish players will be useful due to the home-grown quota rules for European competition.
The Belgian is clearly eyeing a few players, and it remains to be seen how much of a budget he will have to spend when January comes around.
Nathaniel Adjei is another player who has been linked with a move to the Light Blues and out of all the rumours so far, this is perhaps the most exciting one.
Celtic have also shown interest in the Hammarby defender, and it could mean a tussle between the two rivals to see who manages to sign the talented player.
His price tag may be a deterrent, however, as the Swedish outfit reportedly value him at between £3m-£4m and this may just be out of Clement’s budget next month.
If he manages to move on some deadwood, then this could change, but the right offer will need to arrive for players who he deems not the right fit for his squad.
Signing Adjei would prove to be a shrewd investment, especially as he could become a long-term replacement for Leon Balogun.
Leon Balogun’s season in numbers
The 35-year-old defender rejoined the club he had spent two successful years at between 2020 and 2022 during the summer transfer window, linking up once again with Michael Beale.
The Nigerian was only supposed to be used as cover for the likes of Connor Goldson, John Souttar and Ben Davies and this was evidenced by the fact he started just two matches under Beale during the early stages of the season.
He was even left out of the Europa League group stage squad list and many wondered why he had actually been brought back in the first place.
Following his sacking and the appointment of the former Club Brugge head coach, Balogun has looked reinvigorated at the heart of the defence.
The former Wigan Athletic defender has started eight of Clement’s ten domestic matches thus far and has been in excellent form.
Balogun has won a remarkable 73% of his total duels across his league appearances this term while succeeding with 75% of his dribble attempts, proving he has been effective not only in one-on-one duels, but also in advancing the ball out from the defence.
While he has been effective under the 49-year-old, Balogun signed just a one-year deal during the summer, and it looks as though he will depart the club for the second time next year.
With this in mind, a move for Adjei certainly makes a lot of sense and the youngster ticks a lot of boxes.
Nathaniel Adjei’s career statistics
The 21-year-old has already made 31 appearances during his senior career having made his bow during the 2022 Allsvenskan season and the 2023 campaign proved to be his breakthrough year.
Adjei scored once across 21 games and started 16 of those as he gained crucial experience in the top flight.
The 6 foot 3 titan was also impressive when compared to his current teammates as he ranked fifth across the squad for accurate passes per game (40.8) along with ranking third for accurate long balls (3.5) and clearances per game (2.7), showcasing his impressive talent.
Like Balogun, the young Ghanaian is also a physical presence, and he won four total duels per game in the Swedish top flight – a success rate of 61% – and he isn’t scared of moving the ball forward as often as possible, evidenced by the fact he succeeded with 82% of his attempted dribbles during the 2023 season.
These are excellent statistics, especially for someone so young and inexperienced, and he appears to have all the necessary physical attributes to succeed in Scottish football.
Indeed, Kai Watson – who runs the popular and informative Rangers Journal – dubbed the centre-back as a “physical monster” when analysing his season for Hammarby back in November.
Adjei has two caps for the Ghana U23 side, yet with the African Cup of Nations taking place in the Ivory Coast next month, might his solid performances in Scandinavia have alerted the senior side to a potential call up?
A move to a top European club would certainly accelerate his stature among his compatriots and this might lead to a debut cap sooner rather than later.
Cyriel Dessers
2023
Abdallah Sima
2023
Leon Balogun
2023
Amad Diallo
2022
Fashion Sakala
2021
Rangers have had success in the Scandinavian market previously, with Alfredo Morelos joining from HJK Helsinki in 2017 and becoming a cult hero at Ibrox.
The Gers currently have the best defence in the Premiership this term, but that doesn’t mean that Clement will be resting on his laurels.
Balogun is 35, while Connor Goldson (31) and Ben Davies (28) are hardly spring chickens and, before long, this area of the team will need to be rejigged.
Making a concrete move for Adjei next month could be the final chance for the Light Blues to strike, especially if he is picked to play for Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations.
He might cost between £3m-£4m, but this could turn into a wonderful investment for the future.
