Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement will be looking to end 2023 on a high as the Ibrox side prepare to face another vital Premiership clash.
They travel to the east end of Glasgow on Saturday to face Celtic and a win would do wonders for their title challenge as well as inflicting a psychological blow on their opponents in the process.
The 49-year-old coach has already delivered a blow to his Old Firm rivals as the Gers have secured a loan deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva until the end of the campaign.
Rangers sign Fabio Silva
According to Football Insider a few days ago, both Old Firm clubs were chasing a deal for the striker as they aimed to bolster their attacking departments.
Having cost Wolves a staggering £35m just three years ago, a permanent move didn’t appear to be viable, yet securing him on a short-term loan deal could prove advantageous for either club as they chase glory during the second half of the season.
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The youngster chose the Ibrox side, and it could be a smart move, with the Portuguese forward already endearing himself to the supporters by praising the Light Blues, saying:
"When I was a kid and we spoke about Scotland, Rangers for me was the best team here. I want to play for the fans, with my teammates and to win titles. That's the most important thing."
Securing a move for Silva indicates that Clement means business and with several key players out injured for the foreseeable future, this won't be the first signing the manager makes over the next four weeks.
The Gers have been linked with a few defenders of late. Could the Belgian be close to making a swoop for a left-back in the coming weeks?
Rangers transfer news – Fredrik Oppegard
With Silva arriving through the door, thoughts now turn to further transfers and, according to the Daily Record, the Light Blues are now pursuing a move for a left-back during the January transfer window.
Philadelphia Union’s Kai Wagner and PSV Eindhoven’s Fredrik Oppegard have both been scouted by the club in recent weeks as Clement steps up his chase for more reinforcements.
Oppegard is the younger of the two players and this could perhaps be the player who the former AS Monaco coach will target, especially with his long-term potential.
Ridvan Yilmaz hasn’t quite had the required impact at Ibrox since his £5m move from Besiktas during the summer of 2022, while Borna Barisic is out of contract at the end of the current season and it remains to be seen whether he will be extended his stay in Glasgow.
Oppegard could be a perfect replacement for the Croatian and securing a deal for him in January would allow the PSV starlet to settle in during the second half of the season.
Borna Barisic’s season in numbers
The 31-year-old has been with the Gers since joining under Steven Gerrard in 2018, and he has served the club well during the previous five and a half years.
At the time of writing, the defender has made 224 appearances for the club, chipping in with nine goals and registering 53 assists as he has been a constant attacking presence on the left-hand side throughout the years.
With victory in the League Cup final earlier this month, Barisic has now secured the full set of domestic honours, but he has missed a few games during the season due to some niggling injury issues and this term hasn’t exactly been his most productive.
For a player who is so effective at bombing up and down the left flank with ease, Barisic ranks in a lowly 16th spot for successful dribbles per game across the squad in the league (0.3), while he also ranks 12th for big chances created (one) and fourth for assists (two) and it looks as though his influence in the side is waning.
This will increase the need for Clement to sign a new left-back sooner rather than later and a deal for Oppegard could be a shrewd investment for the future.
Fredrik Oppegard’s career statistics
The 21-year-old started his career at PSV, making a total of 81 appearances with their youth sides, before making his debut for the senior side during the 2020/21 campaign.
The youngster enjoyed a loan spell at Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles for the second half of last season and, across 11 appearances in the Dutch top flight for both teams, the Norwegian showcased his attacking abilities.
Oppegard succeeded with 92% of his dribble attempts – at a rate of 1.1 per game – while also making 0.3 key passes per game. His defensive traits were also on show too, as the 21-year-old won an impressive 72% of his total duels per game along with being dribbled past on just 0.4 occasions, and while there is scope for improvement, the defender is showing some potential.
46.8
17.4
2.3
0.3
0.3
1.1
3.8
3.8
1.8
1.5
The 5 foot 8 gem has yet to make an appearance in the league for the club this season, being restricted to just one Champions League cameo against Arsenal earlier this month, and it looks as though he isn’t part of the first team plans under coach Peter Bosz.
With his contract expiring in just 18 months, January may be the perfect time to secure a deal for the Norway U21 international, especially with the situation surrounding the current left-backs in the Gers squad.
Oppegard has played in the Champions League and has experience in the Eredivisie. A move to Scotland could reinvigorate his career and give him plenty of opportunities to play on a regular basis.
Clement has plenty of time on his side, and it looks as though he is avoiding the mistakes of his predecessors by tying up his January transfer business with plenty of time to spare rather than chase last-minute deals which haven’t been thought through properly.
This strategy could certainly pay dividends over the second half of the 2023/24 campaign and with one trophy in the bag already, Clement will be confident he can add another two to the cabinet in the coming months.
