Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed a fantastic start to life under their next head coach Philippe Clement with four wins in his first five competitive matches.
The only time they have dropped points under the Belgian tactician so far came in a 0-0 draw away at Sparta Prague in the Europa League, with wins over Hibernian, Dundee, and Hearts twice alongside that.
They booked their place in the final of the Scottish League Cup with a comfortable 3-1 win over Hearts last weekend, thanks to a brace from James Tavernier and a strike from winger Scott Wright.
Clement has been able to hit the ground running at Ibrox despite only having the players he inherited available to him, due to his arrival being outside of a transfer window.
This means that January will be the ex-Club Brugge boss' first chance to bring in his own gems to shape his squad and ensure that he has all the options that he needs to implement his desired style of play.
Rangers transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei
One player who could be on his way to Ibrox in the upcoming transfer window, if the Gers are able to secure his signature, is Hammarby central defender Nathaniel Adjei.
The Sun have reported that the Light Blues are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in the 21-year-old colossus ahead of the turn of the year.
English Championship outfits Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Preston North End are also said to be eyeing up the talented youngster to bolster their squads. It is said that they are all keen on a loan swoop for the talented ace in order to bolster their promotion chances during the second half of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Rangers and Celtic are both tracking Adjei and it is stated that Clement's side have sent scouts to watch the in-demand starlet in action this season.
Whilst The Sun claim that the English teams want a loan for the Ghanaian ace, Alan Nixon has reported, via his Patreon, that Hammarby are looking for a fee within the region of £3m.
It now remains to be seen whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs, including the Gers, are prepared to meet the Swedish outfit's valuation of the centre-back or if they will move on to other targets ahead of the January transfer window.
However, Rangers could add an exciting young defensive option to their ranks and a future monstrous partner for John Souttar at the back if they are able to win the race for his signature.
John Souttar's Rangers statistics
Since joining from Hearts at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the 27-year-old titan has struggled with fitness and has only made 26 competitive appearances for the club to date.
13 of those outings have already come during the current season, after he missed a staggering 46 matches with an ankle injury last term, and Clement should now be hoping that the bulk of Souttar's woes are behind him.
There is little doubt that, when fit, the towering battler is an excellent option for the Light Blues boss and a player who could be a fantastic partner for Adjei if they are able to bring him in.
The Scotland international leads the way for the club with 3.4 clearances per game in the Scottish Premiership this season. This suggests that he has excellent positioning and reads the game well in order to clear danger and prevent the opposition from troubling Jack Butland from crossing situations and set-pieces.
He has also been an incredibly dominant centre-back who has been able to impose his physicality on the opposition throughout the league campaign with a duel success rate of 73%, which includes an 80% ground battle success rate.
This shows that forwards struggle badly in physical contests against Souttar as the Rangers star is able to use his strength and intelligence to get the better of them more often than not.
The statistics that show why Adjei could be a good signing for Rangers
Firstly, at the age of 21, Adjei could come in as a signing for the future for the Gers instead of arriving with the expectation of him being an immediate first-team star.
He has plenty of time on his hands to develop and grow as he gains more experience and could be the long-term successor to current senior ace Connor Goldson, who is a whopping nine years older than him.
However, playing next to a proven Premiership performer like Souttar could be the perfect development path for the Hammarby ace as the Scottish titan can guide him through matches.
The ex-Hearts enforcer can be the leading figure at the back with his dominant displays and take the pressure off Adjei, who could be more comfortable next to such an imposing and experienced defender at that level.
This season, the Hammarby gem has featured in 20 Allsvenskan matches and made 1.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.8 clearances per match for his side.
Souttar is the only Rangers player with at least five league appearances who has managed more than 2.8 clearances per game, which suggests that Adjei could be an impressive performer next to the Scotland international with their ability to clear danger.
The 21-year-old talent is not quite as dominant as the Light Blues man but his statistics in the Swedish top-flight this season show that opposition players do not get the better of him often.
Sofascore rating
7.7
Blocks
Two
Tackles
Four
Duels won
Five
Goals conceded
Zero
Adjei's most recent Hammarby performance (via Sofascore)
Adjei has won 64% of his duels in his 20 league matches in 2023, which includes a battle success rate of 66% on the ground, and this suggests that the Ghana international is also a strong defender who can frustrate opponents with his ability to consistently outmuscle them.
Therefore, the young colossus could be an excellent addition for Rangers if he is able to translate those performances over to Scottish football whilst improving and developing as he plays more games and gains more experience over the months and years to come.
Adjei could arrive as a player with the potential to make an immediate impact with his dominant defensive displays and as a signing who could be a future monstrous partner for Souttar at the back as Clement possibly looks at life beyond 30-year-old Goldson.
