Glasgow Rangers 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.
Indeed, Philippe Clement’s men drew on their fighting spirit to return from the dead not once, but twice, forcing extra time courtesy of a late Danilo equaliser.
In the end, scoring three goals against Celtic isn’t something Rangers have done too often in the previous few years, but hopes will be high going into the Old Firm clash at the start of 2025.
The Belgian appears to have certain members of his first-team squad firing on all cylinders lately, which is a big bonus.
The likes of Ianis Hagi, Vaclav Cerny and Nedim Bajrami are all pulling the strings going forward, while Nico Raskin has emerged as a player who can dominate games, both domestically and in Europe.
Hamza Igamane has been the major surprise package, however. The young forward is finally settling into life in Glasgow, and he could be vital for the club between now and the end of the season.
Hamza Igamane’s stats this season
It may have taken a few weeks for the Moroccan to get over an injury before making his debut for the Light Blues, yet he has made up for lost time over the previous few months.
Across 17 appearances for the Gers, Igamane has netted six goals, with four coming in the Europa League, while grabbing a further two assists.
His game is certainly built for the European scene, evident by his well-taken finish against Tottenham Hotspur last week which saw the Ibrox side take the lead against the North Londoners.
Along with his four goals, the youngster has also averaged 1.3 key passes per game and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles each match.
Igamane’s strike rate is also impressive, netting a goal every 48 minutes, and if he can keep that sort of rate up, Rangers have an excellent chance to go quite deep in the competition.
Metric
Europa League
Premiership
Goals
4
2
Assists
1
0
Key passes per game
1.3
0.7
Successful dribbles per game
1.3
0.8
Total shots per game
1.5
2.2
These performances have seen his market value soar in recent weeks, while even attracting attention from down south in the process…
Hamza Igamane’s market value at Rangers
Eyebrows were raised when Clement paid around £1.7m in the summer to bring the striker to Glasgow, but that could soon turn into a bargain.
Indeed, according to reports, Everton reportedly sent scouts to Ibrox to take in the Europa League clash between Rangers and Spurs, keeping a close eye on Igamane during the game.
It is clear the Toffees need some added firepower, and it looks as though they have earmarked Igamane as a player of importance.
According to Transfermarkt, the African centre-forward is now worth €2.5m (£2m), which is a slight increase on the fee the club paid for him just six months ago.
There is no doubting this valuation will soar in the coming months, especially if he keeps up his level of performance, indicating that he could make the Gers a fortune.
Clement has a few players in his squad who are worth more than Igamane, with Rabbi Matondo still holding a decent valuation despite a poor season mixed with injury issues and a lack of starts.
Rabbi Matondo’s Rangers statistics
When the Welshman arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 2022, hopes were high that he could be an exciting addition to the squad, especially given his sheer pace and ability to take the ball past opposition defenders.
Unfortunately, he didn’t quite get the chance to showcase his abilities during his first campaign, making just 28 appearances in all competitions, registering a paltry five assists in the process.
Journalist Josh Bunting was critical of the winger halfway through his maiden campaign, saying in December 2022: “Rabbi Matondo with probably the worst 23 minutes I’ve seen this season, just hasn’t worked out and I said when he signed I wasn’t convinced. Has the pace but the intelligence and the awareness just really lack. His crossing really poor, no quality in it at all it was more hopeful.”
At the start of the 2023/24 season, it looked as though Matondo had made a breakthrough. 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 key starter under Michael Beale.
It didn’t take long for injuries to rear their head again, as the former Schalke youngster spent large sections of the campaign on the sidelines, although he did net a stunning equaliser against Celtic in March 2024.
Two goals and three assists in his first six games of the current season appeared to show a more mature Matondo, one that was capable of staying fit and forcing himself into Clement’s plans.
Like the previous two campaigns, he suffered yet another injury and has been missing since the start of September.
Rabbi Matondo’s market valuation
Despite his lack of input on the pitch in recent months, Matondo is currently valued at €3m (£2.5m) according to Transfermarkt, which suggests the Gers could sell him on for a decent price should there be any interest in the winger.
If Clement is aiming to bolster his squad during the January transfer window, then selling a few players who aren’t contributing makes a lot of sense.
On the left flank, the Belgian can utilise Oscar Cortes, Nedim Bajrami and even Igamane, which demonstrates just how far down the pecking order Matondo finds himself.
Matondo is even valued more than the young Gers sensation, although it surely won’t be long before he is overtaken. With just 18 months left on his current contract, January represents an ideal opportunity for Rangers and the Welsh winger to find a way of sorting out a deal which benefits both parties, no doubt about that.
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