Hugh MacDonald left stunned as Philippe Clement transfer strategy reveal at Rangers goes ‘unreported’

The recent revelation of Philippe Clement’s signing to Rangers shocked Hugh MacDonald. The Ibrox boss wants to adopt Club Brugge’s approach for the team.

Speaking to PLZ Soccer on December 21, the Scotland Herald journalist said he was shocked to hear the Rangers manager’s remarks, which alluded to a “seismic” shift in Ibrox hiring that would mirror his previous team.

The Belgian has undergone a tremendous renaissance at the club since his appointment in October, still yet to taste defeat, winning 12 of his 15 games and is gearing up for his first transfer window at the club with Rangers Review journo Jonny McFarlane sharing that Clement personally told him he has plans to add to the Rangers squad in the January transfer window.

Speaking to PLZ Soccer for 20 minutes and 8 seconds, MacDonald also acknowledges that Clement’s adamant declaration that he would like to emulate Club Brugge’s approach of acquiring young players and then selling them at Ibrox for a profit surprised him.

He said: “The most interesting thing that Clement has said out of anything he’s said was when he came out in the news, he was asked about transfer strategy and he said ‘we’re gonna be like Club Brugge’ and it went unreported and I went, ‘What?’.

“Because usually Rangers are like we’re gonna be this big club, and Clement said ‘no, I’m buying into this thing and we’re gonna be like Brugge’”.

“It’s a system where you’re gonna buy at a certain level and a certain strategy of buying, very much like Celtic’s strategy, buying young players that you can shift on.

“You’re not gonna be buying the free transfers where you’re paying 30 to 40 grand a week and it might not work out and even if they do work out, you’re not gonna get any money from them so it’s a seismic shift that he’s bought into and that’s what clubs are gonna do now.”

Times are changing

If Rangers are to compete with the elite clubs both in England and in Europe then will certainly need to change their strategy and mode of thinking when it comes to recruitment.

The appointment of PSV Eindhoven chief Nils Koppen certainly points to that ambition and now Rangers fans will certainly want to see the fruits of that change of approach.

Indeed, it was a surprise to see Clement make that stance given that managers are supposed to buy into a club’s traditions and approach when they are appointed but it seems the board and those behind the scenes are willing to take a reserved approach and allow Clement to lead the strategy.

It is certainly refreshing to see a huge shift in approach from a club which certainly needs it.

Several questions have been asked of Michael Beale’s summer additions after their early struggles but Clement seems to have turned things around, especially in players like Cyriel Dessers.

However, it is time Rangers start investing in the youth because they are more capable of bringing in sizeable funds than Dessers or Sam Lammers would when the time comes to sell them.

Clubs like Brighton and even Celtic are benefitting from this approach and it’s time Rangers take it on too.

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