Philippe Clement challenges Rangers chiefs to conjure up deadline day transfers as boss takes fans inside board talks
Philippe Clement has challenged the Rangers board to come up with a couple of deadline day signings.
The Ibrox boss is desperate for reinforcements as he gears up for the second half of the season and a huge Europa League last 16 clash next month. But he admits it’s now down to sporting director Nils Koppen and chief exec Patrick Stewart to get the deals done. Clement has been linked with moves for Dundee’s Lyall Cameron and former Liverpool kid Bobby Clark, currently based at Red Bull Salzburg.
But asked after the 4-0 win over Ross County if he was hopeful of seeing those new arrivals check in before this evening’s 11pm cut-off, the Rangers boss said: "We had meetings about players who have the level to help the team and to help us go the next level. We will see now in the next couple of hours what's possible for the club. It's not my decision to take. So we had clear talks about profiles, about players. And then it's about the club, if it's possible or not. And I will see. Yes, of course, we spoke about [the number of players I’d like]. They agreed they will try to go for those numbers.”
With money tight at Ibrox, there’s no guarantees Clement will be able to strengthen his side. But he has been assured no-one else will depart without ready replacements coming in. He said: “You never know. But if that's the case, you need to be replaced by at least the same level. That's what we agreed. So you never know if something crazy comes, but then there needs to be a replacement. So then it needs to go really fast.”
Gers swept past the staggering Staggies after a ruthless first half which saw Ianis Hagi fire a double ahead of John Souttar’s first goal of the season. Hagi pounced 18 minutes for the opener after County keeper Jordan Amissah spilled a Vaclav Cerny strike. As things stand, the out-of-contract Romanian and on-loan Wolfsburg winger Cerny will be departing this summer.
Clement would love to keep both around for next season - but admits that decision does not rest at his door. Those are not questions for me, I’m not the financial guy of the club,” he said. Of course I want to keep them. I wanted to keep Abdallah Sima also last season.
“We will see what the situation is at the end of the season or the next few months. But my focus is fully on the squad that is here. And of course also for the future, for next season, what can the squad be. I want as much as possible consistency also in a squad. If you need to change a lot, then you know it takes time also before everything gels together and you get the right timings and everybody knows what to do.
"So you lose time. So it's crucial as a club. If you want to be successful long term, you need to have also a core of the team that stays there. You cannot change like we changed in the summer, but it will not be the case also.”
Meanwhile, Clement tried to distance himself from reports kid frontman Zak Lovelace is on his way back to former club Millwall after sitting out yesterday’s victory.
He said: “I don't have any update about players, if there's nothing official. And to be clear about Zak, he was today not in the selection because he had a problem with his toe. So he got an injection yesterday from the doctor. So otherwise he would have been on the bench.”
