OPINION
There is always some trepidation from fans when they see a loan arrival through the doors, and the feeling will be the same at Rangers this summer.
The Light Blues have relied on a number of permanent and temporary transfer deals to help bolster the squad under Steven Gerrard’s leadership and the guidance of director of football Mark Allen.
Supporters would always rather be able to call a player their own, rather than another club’s, and while they will be happy if the likes of Ovie Ejaria are successes at Ibrox, they know that their future lies elsewhere, while the club have acted as a stepping stone to greater things.
The Gers faithful do not want to feel as though they are simply a proving ground for young talent, which is why the confirmed loan for Lassana Coulibaly, signing from Angers, will have some scratching their heads.
The Mali international has been revealed via the club’s official website to have agreed to a season-long loan, and while the official statement states nothing of the sort, the reported terms of the deal, as claimed by an insider, suggest Allen has in fact pulled off a blinder.
EstConsultancy, a reliable source of inside information on Twitter, claim that Rangers have agreed an optional purchase clause in the loan deal, and that is a brilliant move from the Gers’ chief.
https://twitter.com/EstConsultancy/status/1016650040423714816
There is no guarantee, even with his experience on Ligue 1, that he is going to be a success in Scotland – but there will certainly be more eyes watching him now he is in Britain.
English clubs always keep Scottish football on the radar as a source of cheap but potentially excellent talent – as shown by the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama – and if Coulibaly does dazzle, fans can be sure there will be a queue growing for his capture – but Rangers are automatically leading that potential line.
If he lives up to potential, then the 22-year-old could well be one of the hottest prospects in Scotland – and Rangers have the chance to make him theirs.
Savvy business from Allen.