Rangers can’t afford to spend millions on players only for them not to play a key role and Philippe Clement must start getting value for money.
Over too many summer transfer windows, regardless of how much has been spent, the squad hasn’t been upgraded since 2022 and the lack of silverware or sustained title challenge proves this.
In Mohamed Diomande, the manager bought the type of player to tick every box on Nils Koppen’s player trading model and the Rangers midfielder has his best chance yet to prove that he is worth the £4.3m paid to Nordsjaelland to sign him.
Mohamed Diomande can be Rangers creator in chief
The 23-year old is undoubtedly talented and has shown flashes of what he is capable of, however, consistency remains his biggest enemy.
With Tom Lawrence hobbling off – again – Diomande could now be given an opportunity in a more advanced midfield role with the dynamic duo of Nicolas Raskin and Connor Barron adding fresh energy and aggression.
It was the introduction of Diomande against Motherwell that former Rangers utility man Andy Halliday felt changed the course of the game:
“I thought Diomande for me made a big difference, especially playing up against him in the middle of the pitch.
“At times I think Tom Lawrence wants the ball to feet all the time and stay in that pocket but Diomande drags you places you don’t want to go.
“He made a lot of sacrificial runs in behind and pulled out wide, made it a lot more difficult to get close to him but the likes of Danilo and Sterling also added energy to the game as well.”
Diomande still has a lot to improve
Compared to Lawrence, using Data MB’s radar tool, Diomande has been a more productive passer of the ball, rather than the more experienced playmaker’s preference to carry the ball forward.
The Ivorian likes to take the ball on the half-turn, picking up pockets of space before building play, similar to his pass for Cerny against Motherwell – his talent suggests that he is capable of so much more though.
When you add Todd Cantwell’s name into the mix too though, it doesn’t look good for either of them and shows the level that Diomande has to get to.
He has the potential, all he has to do now is show it.
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