Rangers ‘have identified weak areas’ in squad as Nils Koppen gives transfer update after key summit meeting


Nils Koppen has revealed that plans are well underway to improve the structure of the Rangers squad in the January transfer window - but confirmed that more departures are likely at Ibrox.
Manager Philippe Clement had a busy summer of transfer business with over £10 million spent on nine new arrivals and 11 deals were completed in total - including the return of winger Oscar Cortes and Mohamed Diomande’s initial loan deal being made permanent. Meanwhile, five players headed in the opposite direction and were allowed to leave on free transfer, while another five were sold.
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Hide AdDespite the overhaul, Clement’s side have endured a challenging start to the season, being forced to play their home games at Hampden Park instead of Ibrox due to delayed construction works. They currently trail arch rivals Celtic at the top of the Premiership table by five points after the first seven games and have also dropped into the Europa League after missing out on a Champions League windfall of up to £16m.
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And Dutchman Koppen - who was appointed as Rangers’ Director of Football recruitment back in January having previously worked as Head of Scouting for PSV Eindhoven - admits showdown talks have already taken place with Clement and the club chiefs to identify the key areas they need to strengthen and draw up a plan of attack. Speaking to Rangers TV in an in-depth interview about the summer transfer window, the club’s recruitment strategy and planning for January, Koppen said: “Last week we had a meeting with the manager and board members to determine the strategy.
"I think we have identified the positions that, for the moment, we are a little bit weak in, understaffed or need a bit more quality. We know that and it is now about talking about the budgets we can spend in the market and preparing ourselves for that window.
“On the other side, there is also the possibility that players leave the club, so we always have to be ready to replace them where necessary. The first steps have been made and the recruitment team is now active in identifying these positions.”
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Hide AdRangers have scoured the globe to unearth talent, securing the services of Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane and Brazilian full-back Jefte, supplemented by experience in the form of Dutch centre-back Robin Propper and Czech winger Vaclav Cerny on loan.
Koppen reckons it’s a fine balancing act targeting players who are yet to enter the peak of their career but also boast the personality required to handle the demands of the club. He added: “It’s important to look all over the globe where we can compete financially to get the best talents to the club. We also don’t want to lose the focus on Scotland and the local market. I think to look worldwide gives us more opportunity to sign these talents and everyone realises that the UK market for us is getting difficult financially.
“We need to be more creative, think outside of the box and look for profiles that are suitable for our league even if they’re from Brazil or Morocco. It’s a very physical and demanding league, and we’re a dominant team who need to break down the low blocks. It’s about looking at different markets and trying to find the best profiles that are suitable for us. “It’s a challenge but it’s not only Brazil and Morocco; we want to look worldwide to where we think we can have success. It’s a big advantage to get that desire into the dressing room and hunger to take the next steps. It’s a good thing to have that burning desire, but also we’re looking for winners and players who can raise the standards on and off the pitch.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re 18 or 25-years-old – it’s a key thing to have in a place like this. It’s something that we try to look at, but it’s also the most difficult thing to judge as a recruiter or a scout. You need to watch them in several circumstances, including during top games and more easy games.
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Hide Ad“We need to fly all over the world to meet them in-person and do a lot of Zoom calls where the manager is involved. In a way we need to screen their personality, but it’s still the most difficult thing to judge because walking out at Ibrox with that crowd is something that is difficult to see and predict how they’re going to react. I think it’s something that we put a lot of attention on.”
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