Kevin Thelwell excited by new Rangers star with 'considerable experience' who's on 'upward trajectory'
Rangers have made their seventh summer signing that’s been praised to the hilt by Ibrox sporting director
Kevin Thelwell has talked up Rangers’ latest transfer recruit as someone with “considerable experience” who possesses all the right attributes to make his mark both domestically and in European competition.
Winger Djeidi Gassama has been unveiled as the Light Blues’ seventh new summer signing, joining on a four-year deal from crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday for a reported fee of around £2.5 million.
A former PSG academy graduate, Gassama trained alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé during his time with the Ligue 1 champions. He has spent the last two years in the EFL Championship after gaining first-team experience on loan at Belgian outfit KAS Eupen.
The France Under-20 international featured in all bar three games across the entirety of the league season for the Owls last term and developed into a key figure at Hillsborough.
Rangers sporting director Thelwell views him as a player who will excite the club’s fanbase.
Djeidi Gassama to Rangers latest
He said in a club statement: “ We are delighted to secure Djeidi’s signature. His attributes are well-suited to the challenges that we’ll face both domestically and on the European stage, and he arrives with considerable experience under his belt at only 21. He is on an upward trajectory in his young career, and we look forward to seeing him in action.”
Head coach Russell Martin said: “We are very excited to bring Djeidi to the club. He is certainly an exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats, and I believe he will add an extra dimension to our attack with his qualities. He is hungry to improve as a player and, most importantly, is desperate to pull on the Rangers jersey and help deliver success to the club.”
What Djeidi Gassama has said about Rangers move
Gassama told Rangers TV: “I am very happy to be here, I am very excited to start with my new club, it is a big club with a lot of history. For a long time, I have known about Rangers, and when they came in this summer I said to my agent, ‘we go directly’.
“I have seen some games, and some European games, and I really like it. This is a big club, and I need that for my next level, and I think the club can help me progress.
Discussing his career to date, Gassama added: “I started playing when I was young and then I played for the under-19’s at PSG and made my debut. It was crazy to be in a team with players like Messi, Mbappé, Neymar.
"It was a good experience for me to train with them, I learned a lot of things about the gym, what they do on and off the pitch. They give 100 per cent and when you see them you have to do the same, and even the training with them is like a game.