One of the biggest gripes of the Giovanni van Bronckhorst era at Rangers was that the Dutchman was never fully backed.
Appointed during the club’s uncertain emergence from the COVID pandemic, the Rangers boardroom’s missteps during that period have seen heads roll and big changes at the top of the club.
A lack of proper transfer investment and the failure to properly establish the player trading model has cost the club with Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen only now getting the backing to change things.
But the latest news surrounding one player whom Giovanni van Bronckhorst himself claimed he almost brought to Rangers stands as a fresh reminder of the club’s shortcomings.
Van Bronckhorst target lines up £40m move
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was unlucky not to sign a number of young Dutch talents during his time at Rangers.
With the likes of Xavi Simons and Tijjani Reijnders amongst the most prominent names linked, Danilho Doekhi was another who might’ve joined the club.
But ahead of this season’s Champions League Final, Van Bronckhorst claimed that he tried to bring Chelsea talent Ian Maatsen to Rangers during his time in Glasgow.
Maatsen played a crucial role in helping Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League Final against Real Madrid whilst on loan at the Bundesliga giants last season.
And now, as if to turn the screw, the likes of Sky Sports are claiming that Chelsea are set to sell Ian Maatsen to a Champions League club this summer.
Striking a reported £35m rising to £40m deal with Aston Villa, the 22-year-old left-back will reportedly sign a six-year contract at Villa Park.
Rangers player trading revamped
You can add Ian Maatsen’s name to the swelling list of players Rangers have missed out on over the years.
The club’s failure to implement a proper player trading strategy has come back to haunt them with a lack of assets, expiring contracts and repeated domestic failure leaving the club increasingly short.
Now, Rangers are set to revamp their transfer strategy and already the club have made some exciting moves in the transfer market.
But with plenty of work still to be done this summer, we’ll be in a better position to judge Rangers’ dealings when the window slams shut.
Let’s just hope that those names we do bring into the club under Philippe Clement go on to bigger and better things and help grow Rangers’ finances in the process.
Meanwhile, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has just taken the reins at his first club since being sacked by Rangers.
