Glasgow Rangers The team may have lost the League Cup final on penalties last weekend, but there were plenty of positives to take from the display at Hampden Park.
actually, Philip Clement'''s men relied on their fighting spirit to return from the dead not once, but twice, forcing them to take extra time as a late courtesy. Danilo Eq.
Ultimately, scoring three goals against Celtic is not something Rangers have done much of in the last few years, but hopes will be high heading into an Old Firm clash at the start of 2025.
The Belgian seems to have certain members of his first team firing on all cylinders lately, which is a big bonus.
The likes of Ianis Hagi, Vaclav Cerny and Nedim Bajrami lead the team in attack, while Niko Raskin has emerged as a player who can dominate matches, both domestically and in Europe.
But Hamza Ighamani was the biggest surprise. The young striker is finally settling into life in Glasgow, and could be vital to the club between now and the end of the season.
Hamza Ighamani's statistics this season
It may have taken a few weeks for the Moroccan to recover from the injury before he made his debut for the Light Blues, but he has made up for lost time over the past few months.
Through 17 matches with Gers, Igamani He scored six goalswith four coming in the Europa League, while he picked up two other assists.
His game is certainly designed for the European scene, as evidenced by his fine goal against Tottenham Hotspur last week which saw the Ibrox side take the lead ahead of the north London side.
Besides his four goals, the youngster also scored Average of 1.3 key passes per match and succeeded in 1.3 dribbles per match.
Igamane's strike rate is also impressive, scoring a goal every 48 minutes, and if he can maintain this high rate, Rangers have an excellent chance of going deeper into the competition.
|
Hamza Ighamani's statistics this season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
metric |
European League |
Premier League |
|
Objectives |
4 |
2 |
|
Helps |
1 |
0 |
|
Key passes for each match |
1.3 |
0.7 |
|
Successful dribbles in one match |
1.3 |
0.8 |
|
Total shots per game |
1.5 |
2.2 |
These offers have sent his market value soaring in recent weeks, while attracting attention from the South in the process…
Hamza Ighamani's market value at Rangers
Clement's eyebrows raised It paid around £1.7 million In the summer to bring the striker to Glasgow, but that could soon turn into a deal.
actually, According to reportsEverton reportedly sent their scouts to Ibrox for the Europa League match between Rangers and Tottenham, with Igamane closely monitored during the match.
The Toffees are clearly in need of some extra firepower, and they appear to have earmarked Igamane as an important player.
According to Transfermarkt, the African striker is It is now worth €2.5 million (£2 million), a slight increase on the fee the club paid him just six months ago.
There is no doubt that this valuation will rise in the coming months, especially if he continues his level of form, which suggests he could make the Gers a fortune.
Clement has few players in his squad who are worth more than Ijamane, and Rabbi Matondo still maintains a good rating despite a poor season mixed with injury problems and a lack of starts.
Rabbi Matondo Rangers statistics
When the Welshman arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 2022, hopes were high that he would be an exciting addition to the squad, especially given his tremendous pace and ability to pass the ball past opposition defenders.
Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to showcase his abilities during his first campaign, He participated in only 28 matches In all competitions, registering a paltry five assists in the process.
It was journalist Josh Bunting Swipe the wing In the middle of his first campaign, saying in December 2022: “Rabbi Matondo had probably the worst 23 minutes I've seen this season, he wasn't in good shape and I said when he signed I wasn't convinced. He has pace but the intelligence and awareness are really lacking. His crossing was really bad, there was no quality to it at all, it was More optimistic.
At the start of the 2023/24 season, it looked as if Matondo had achieved something big. Not only did he score his first goal for the club against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, but he began to emerge as a regular starter under Michael Bell.
It didn't take long for injuries to rear their heads again, with the former Schalke youngster spending large periods of the season on the sidelines, although he did score a stunning equalizer against Celtic in March 2024.
Two goals and three assists In his first six games of the season, Matondo appeared more mature, able to maintain his fitness and force himself to follow Clemente's plans.
Like the previous two seasons, he suffered another injury and has been sidelined since the beginning of September.
Market value of Rabbi Matondo
Despite his lack of contribution on the pitch in recent months, so has Matondo It is currently valued at €3 million (£2.5m) according to Transfermarkt, suggesting the Gers could sell for a bargain price if there is any interest in the winger.
If Clement is aiming to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window, selling a few players who are not contributing makes a lot of sense.
On the left side, the Belgian can benefit from Oscar Cortés, Nadeem Bajrami and even Igamane, which shows how far Matondo has fallen in the pecking order.
Matondo is even more highly regarded than the Gers' young star, although it certainly won't be long before he is overtaken. With just 18 months remaining on his current contract, January represents the perfect opportunity for Rangers and the Welsh winger to find a way to reach a deal that benefits both parties, there's no doubt about that.
