The chances of Rangers being able to sign Vaclav Cerny on a permanent deal next summer already look to be fairly slim.
Valued at around £6.5million by parent club Wolfsburg, Philippe Clement admitted last week that the on-loan Czech winger is currently out of Rangers’ price bracket.
With Cerny enjoying a productive season, nine goals and five assists in all competitions have seen him emerge as a key figure for Clement’s side.
But it must be hugely frustrating for the Rangers manager. He will know that the better Cerny performs during this loan stint, the more unaffordable he becomes. It’s a double-edged sword.
If he finishes the season with somewhere close to 20 goals in all competitions and helps Rangers have a decent run in Europe, other clubs with bigger budgets will sit up and take notice.
Rangers were in this very same movie last season with Abdallah Sima. Although Sima was open to a permanent move to Rangers from Brighton, his transfer fee and wages were simply too expensive.
Vaclav Cerny has scored nine goals since arriving at Rangers on loan from Wolfsburg
Cerny’s form means it is unlikely Rangers will be able to make his signing permanent
Sima is now ripping it up in France for a Brest side who have taken the Champions League by storm. Without a doubt, he was one that got away.
Rangers need to learn from this. When the negotiate these loans deals, they must make sure they have an option to buy the player for a specified – and affordable – fee.
It’s just common sense. All they are doing at the moment is essentially giving Cerny a platform to flourish so that Wolfsburg can make a few quid on him next summer.
It’s a key area of the club’s transfer strategy that has to be addressed.
MOROCCAN CHEF IS HELPING RANGERS GET THE BEST OUT OF IGAMANE
The form of Hamza Igamane has been pivotal to Rangers mini-resurgence over these past couple of weeks.
The Moroccan attacker has scored four goals in his last four games and is rapidly emerging as the club’s most potent threat.
Still only 22 and very raw, it would be unreasonable to put too much pressure on a young boy who is still getting to grips with life in Glasgow.
Igamane still doesn’t speak much English, but Rangers have recruited a local chef to help him with the language barrier.
Abdellah Ansame works in the Goat in the Tree restaurant in Glasgow, a Moroccan eatery which has become a home from home for Igamane.
Ansame also holds a UEFA A Licence coaching badge and was initially sounded out to help Igamane by Rangers recruitment chief Nils Koppen.
The club posted a video last week on social media which explained the relationship, with Ansame now regularly attending matches to act as Igamane’s translator.
Given his stellar form, you have to safe it’s working a treat. Thanks to his chef-turned-translator, Igamane is cooking up a storm at Ibrox.
Rumour has it that Ansame’s restaurant is also now fully booked for the next six months…
Young striker Hamza Igamane has shown great promise for Rangers this season
ENGLISH OPTIONS COULD PREVENT PATTERSON RETURNING TO IBROX ON LOAN
Rangers would face competition from clubs in the English Championship if they move to sign Nathan Patterson on loan in January.
Patterson has been tipped for a loan move away from Everton once the transfer window opens next month after recently returning to full fitness.
The 23-year-old right-back has been plagued by injuries since leaving Rangers to join the Toffees for a fee of around £11million three years ago.
Patterson missed Scotland’s Euro 2024 campaign due to injury and had struggled with his form due to a lack of game-time at club level.
Everton boss Sean Dyche recently dismissed reports that Patterson could be heading out on loan, but the player is keen to secure more game-time with a view to getting back into the Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifiers early next year.
Rangers will almost certainly look to strengthen at right-back in the January window after the news last week that Nana Kasanwirjo is likely to miss the rest of the season due to knee surgery.
That could open up the possibility of Patterson returning to Ibrox on loan, but reports have claimed that he is also on the radar of several clubs in the English Championship.
Nathan Patterson comes on as a substitute in Everton’s recent loss at Old Trafford
INJURY PROBLEMS WRECKING FLECK’S HOPES OF SWANSONG WITH CHESTERFIELD
John Fleck’s hopes of enjoying an Indian summer in his career appear to be doomed.
Had it not been for bad luck in the past couple of years, the former Ibrox wonderkid would have had none at all.
His misfortune began at Sheffield United when he had a metal plate inserted in his leg after a minor fracture. The trouble was the plate was too big, so he was in constant pain when he trained or played for six months.
It was only when he got a whack on the same leg after moving to Blackburn for the second half of last season that he underwent another operation, with the correct size of plate being inserted second time around.
Former Scotland midfielder John Fleck has been plagued by injury in recent seasons
The only problem was that by the time Fleck was fit again, the season had finished and he was out of contract. In total, he made just four appearances for the Blades and one for Blackburn.
He returned to Rangers in the summer to train at Auchenhowie before eventually signing on the dotted line in a one year with League Two Chesterfield.
‘In terms of fitness and my leg, I feel back to completely normal now,’ he said upon signing. ‘I have come through the other side and I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in probably a year.’
Talk about quickly regretting what you say. Fleck made his debut in the FA Cup win against Horsham but lasted only 21 minutes of a Football League Trophy victory over Grimsby having pulled his hamstring.
‘It’s a bit like Groundhog Day at the moment with that one,’ said assistant manager Danny Webb. ‘John is as disappointed as anyone.’
Fleck may not have quite hit the heights that were expected of him as a youth player but three Scottish titles, a Scottish Cup, a promotion to the Premier League with Sheffield United and five Scotland caps is still a decent career haul.
Unfortunately, at the age of 33, is does not look like he’ll be adding to that tally by the time he hangs up the boots.