Clement could sign his next Tchouameni in Rangers swoop for 9k-p/w star

Glasgow Rangers will be hoping to put an end to their drought of Scottish Premiership titles when they take to the field for the 2024/25 campaign.

Philippe Clement came in to replace Michael Beale at Ibrox midway through last season and could not do enough to overcome the club’s local rivals, who won the division for a third straight year.

The Belgian head coach is now set to entire his first full campaign at Rangers and will be looking to utilise his experience of winning division as a manager to lead the Light Blues to glory.

The Gers knew when they appointed Clement that they were bringing in a winner who has what it takes to win trophies, which was immediately shown by his League Cup success at Hampden Park at the end of last year.

The 50-year-old boss has won the Belgian Pro League four times as a manager, as well as two Belgian Super Cups, and one Belgian Cup success.

Clement also led French side Monaco to a third place finish in Ligue 1 and helped to develop some terrific talents during his time there, including current Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni.

Aurelien Tchouameni’s form for Philippe Clement

The pair worked together during the 2021/22 campaign at Monaco and the France international caught the eye with his athletic and dominant performances in the middle of the park.

Tchouameni, who had joined the club from Bordeaux in January 2020, offered plenty of quality to the team in and out of possession in the Ligue 1 season.

As you can see in the table above, the French star created chances for his teammates whilst being a dominant defensive force who constantly looked to break up opposition attacks.

He ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the division for interceptions per 90 (3.10) and this shows that Tchouameni read the game brilliantly to step in and cut out passes on a regular basis.

His sublime form for Monaco under Clement led to Real Madrid swooping in to sign him for a reported €100m (£84m) deal in the summer of 2022.

The 24-year-old ace has since gone on to play 88 times for the Spanish giants in all competitions and has lifted six trophies in his two seasons with the club to date, including the Champions League and LaLiga.

Tchouameni, who started five games for France at the Euros this summer, has become a star for club and country – playing for two of the biggest clubs and countries in the world – since working with Clement at Monaco.

The Rangers boss could now unearth his next version of the French colossus by swooping to sign one of his reported transfer targets this summer.

Rangers interest in midfield titan

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Scottish giants are interested in a deal to sign BSC Young Boys central midfielder Chiekh Niasse this summer.

It was claimed that the Ibrox side have made contact with the Swiss outfit to discuss a potential swoop for the defensive anchor to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

However, it remains to be seen how much the Super League outfit would demand for their star midfielder, or if they are even willing to entertain offers for his services.

It is also unclear as to how much Rangers would be willing to spend to snap him up, after they allowed Ryan Jack and John Lundstram to leave as free agents at the end of May.

The £9.4k-per-week defensive midfielder has clearly caught the club’s eye, hence why they decided to contact Young Boys to discuss a potential swoop.

Clement and the Gers should now push ahead with a deal for Niasse, if possible, though, because he could be developed into the manager’s new version of Tchouameni.

Just like the French international, the Young Boys is a 6 foot 2 titan who offers athleticism, defensive quality, and technical secruity in possession in the middle of the park.

Why Rangers should sign Chiekh Niasse

The Scottish giants should swoop to sign the 24-year-old colossus due to the potential he has to be a fantastic anchor at the base of Clement’s midfield, just as Tchouameni was for him at Monaco.

Like the Frenchman in Ligue 1, Niasse ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the Champions League last season for interceptions per 90 (2.87).

This shows that the Senegalese talent has the anticipation and athleticism required to consistently cut out opposition passes in the middle of the park, which was one of the now-Real Madrid star’s biggest qualities under Clement in the 2021/22 campaign.

The pair are also similar in terms of their other defensive qualities as they are both dominant in physical duels and are always looking to win back possession, through tackels, interceptions, and ball recoveries.

As you can see in the table above, both players won the majority of his battles in the 2023/24 campaign for their respective clubs, whilst making multiple defensive interventions per game.

They also both averaged at least a 91% pass completion rate within their own half, which shows that they are secure in possession and rarely gift the ball back to the opposition in dangerous areas.

These statistics suggest that Niasse could be the perfect player to anchor Clement’s midfield as his new Tchouameni, due to his physical frame, at 6 foot 2, his athleticism, defensive quality, and assurance on the ball.

Therefore, the Belgian boss should push the club to get a deal over the line for the Super League brute to bolster his midfield options this summer.