Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin did not do himself any favours with the fanbase when he said that he was happy that the team did not lose against Dundee at Ibrox on Saturday.
In isolation, the comment was understandable because the Light Blues were 1-0 down, with ten men, until James Tavernier’s penalty in the 92nd minute rescued a point.
However, it is not what a lot of supporters wanted to hear after a 1-1 draw at Ibrox against Dundee in the first home match of the Scottish Premiership season, especially after a draw with Motherwell on the opening day.
Whilst the team’s performances in the Champions League qualifiers have shown plenty of promise, there is clearly a lot of work that still needs to be done to get the team to a place where they can realistically compete for the title.
Part of that process will be continuing to use the transfer market to improve the team with new signings before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.
The Gers have already done some good work to bolster their squad in recent weeks and months, as Djeidi Gassama is now the role model for new signings to look at.
Rangers have hit gold with Djeidi Gassama
Rangers reportedly splashed out a fee of £2.2m to sign the 21-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday on a permanent deal to bolster their options on the flanks last month.
It is fair to say that Gassama has not taken very long to become a loved figure among the supporters at Ibrox, thanks to his quick feet and quick start to life in Glasgow.
The French winger has hit the ground running with four goals in five appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, with all four of those goals coming in Champions League qualifiers.
Minutes
15
34
90
83
90
Shots
1
1
N/A
2
2
Goals
1
1
2
0
0
Key passes
0
0
N/A
1
2
Dribbles completed
2/2
0/1
N/A
2/3
2/3
As you can see in the table above, Gassama has also provided quality as a dribbler for the Hoops with his ability to take on opposition full-backs effectively.
The former PSG youngster also won the penalty, of course, against Dundee with a brilliant dribble into the box to draw a foul, which led to Tavernier’s equaliser.
The task for Martin and the rest of the team, now, is to ensure that Gassama is platformed in a way that gets the best out of him, by getting him the ball in the best positions.
Part of that means having a left-back who can complement and support the French whiz down the left side, and the Gers may be on course to lose their current option in that role.
Rangers in talks to sell Brazilian star
According to Globo Esporte, as relayed by Sport Witness, Palmeiras are interested in a deal to sign Glasgow Rangers full-back Jefte this summer.
The report claims that the Brazilian side are currently in talks with the Light Blues over a potential transfer for the 21-year-old defender in the coming weeks.
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It adds that Palmeiras are set to lose their left-back, Vanderlan, and that they have identified the Rangers dynamo as their ideal replacement for him.
The outlet states, though, that it will not be an easy deal for the Brazilian outfit to get over the line because the Gers are set to demand a fee of up to around £5m for the full-back.
It also points out that there are unnamed clubs in England keeping tabs on his situation, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will enter the race for his signature before the end of the summer window.
Why this could be great news for Djeidi Gassama
This could inadvertently be great news for Gassama and the future of how the left side of the pitch looks for Martin moving forward, if Palmeiras are able to strike a deal with Rangers for Jefte.
It was clear in the opening matches of the campaign that the manager was not too fond of the Brazilian full-back, as he played Max Aarons, a right-footed right-back, at left-back for the first three games.
Jefte, who was described as “suspect defensively” by Maurice Ross last season, has been at Ibrox for a year now, yet has not taken big steps in his development defensively or offensively as of yet.
The Brazilian defender only completed one of his five attempted crosses and one of his four attempted dribbles as a starter against Dundee, whilst he did not create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates, which shows that he struggled to produce quality in possession.
Whilst Jefte has shown signs of promise with his technical ability at times, his performances in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign also lacked a cutting edge all too often.
Appearances
33
Starts
30
Goals
1
Big chances created
4
Key passes per game
1.0
Assists
4
Pass accuracy
84%
Dribble success rate
46%
As you can see in the table above, Jefte only created four ‘big chances’ in 33 appearances in the division, which shows that he did not provide a constant threat in the final third.
If you go back to the last successful left side for Rangers, Borna Barisic created 14 ‘big chances’ from left-back in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst Ryan Kent scored 12 goals and delivered 11 assists on the wing.
Gassama is similar to Kent in the sense that he is also a right-footed player who likes to drift inside to score and create, which is why he may need a Barisic-esque left-back option to support him.
Having an offensive left-back who can draw attention away from the opposition’s defence to free up space for Gassama could get the best out of him in the Premiership moving forward, as defenders do not currently have to worry too much about the threat, or lack thereof, Jefte offers.
That is why selling Jefte could end up being great news for the French winger, as it would provide the club with an opportunity to dip into the market to find a player with a profile that suits playing alongside the ex-Owls man the best.
