Dream first Bjornebye deal: Rangers can land biggest talent since Igamane
da 888casino： It’s been a period of remarkable change at Rangers in recent weeks, with the Ibrox side having been forced to react following a desperate start to the season.
da gbg bet： Gone are Patrick Stewart, Kevin Thelwell and the much-maligned Russell Martin. Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl – yet to taste defeat in the Premiership – has steadied the ship nicely, with Stig Inge Bjornebye also joining the party ahead of the January window.
The former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers man has signed a six-month deal in a consultancy and advisory role, with the 56-year-old set to aid Rohl and co in seeking out potential new recruits for when the window opens next month.
After the chaos of the summer, which saw £8m dished out on Youssef Chermiti, among other errant deals, the Ibrox side need to get back on track again, replicating the deals that proved so fruitful in recent years.
From Calvin Bassey, to Joe Aribo, to Glen Kamara, the Gers have repeatedly acquired exciting young talents on the cheap and sold them on for sizeable profits, with that true none more so than in the case of one-season wonder, Hamza Igamane.
How Igamane compares to Rangers forwards this season
In what is such a pressure cooker in Glasgow, signing off on eye-watering deals for figures like Chermiti is almost a case of setting the player up to fail from the off, with the man who failed to score a single goal at Everton since netting just once in his new surroundings.
It is far more prudent and astute to seek out bargain deals instead, where possible, with the Light Blues reaping the rewards of having forked out just £1.7m for Igamane back in the summer of 2024.
It was a muted start for the promising Moroccan forward, having taken until early December to net his first Premiership goal, albeit with that kickstarting something of a purple patch, with nine of his 11 league goals coming in December and January.
The Gers’ Europa League voyage arguably brought the best out of the 23-year-old too, with Igamane registering four goals and one assist across his first four league phase outings.
In all, he chalked up 16 goals in 46 games in 2024/25, before departing for Lille on a £10.4m deal over the summer, following just a further three appearances at the start of the campaign.
Now in France, the seven-cap international has exploded in Ligue 1, netting nine goals in his first 18 games for his new club, rubberstamping why former boss Philippe Clement viewed him as a “rough diamond”.
For comparison, that tally eclipses every player at Rangers this season, with James Tavernier – as ever – leading the way with seven goals, ahead of Djeide Gassama on six.
Igamane vs Rangers forwards – 25/26
Player
Games
Goals (Assists)
Igamane
18
9 (2)
Miovski
20
5 (1)
Gassama
30
6 (2)
Curtis
15
3 (0)
Danilo
23
3 (1)
Moore
20
2 (2)
Bajrami
14
2 (0)
Aasgaard
24
1 (1)
Chermiti
18
1 (1)
Stats via Transfermarkt
Igamane’s impact in Glasgow may have been fleeting, but his talent was undeniable, with none of the new faces, evidently, having come close to hitting such heights.
Now, Bjornebye and co need to follow suit by striking gold again in 2026.
Rangers could land their biggest talent since Igamane
While Rangers may wish to be cautious about dipping into the market to back yet another new manager, there is a clear need to strengthen, with the likes of Gassama and Joe Rothwell among those who could already be moving on after just six months at Ibrox.
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In terms of potential incomings, it was reported earlier this month that the Gers – alongside Sunderland – were among the clubs keen on signing Tromso sensation, Jens Hjerto-Dahl.
The 20-year-old – who is not expected to command a sizeable fee – is courting attention following a promising season in his native Norway, having registered four goals and seven assists in 30 league games.
An eye-catching talent at 6 foot 4, the attack-minded midfield “unicorn” – as he’s been hailed by Belgian scout Elijah Michiels – could follow in Igamane’s footsteps as another high-potential, relative unknown talent who can dazzle in Scottish football.
With his imposing frame and eye for goal, the youngster is a real box-crashing threat for his current side, typically operating as an all-action central midfielder.
While his overall record stands at just 21 goals and assists in 87 senior games, there’s certainly enough to be encouraged by, with that record not too far below Igamane’s 26 goals and assists in 56 games for AS FAR, albeit while operating as a forward.
In the view of analyst Kai Watson, he appears to be destined for one of Europe’s top five leagues, such is his talent, with Rangers perhaps able to provide a suitable stepping stone, as they were for Igamane last season.
Like Igamane too, there is an elegance and silk to the midfielder’s game which could be nurtured under the Rohl regime, with the Gers again in need of that player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck.
This does then look like a deal worth pursuing, with Bjornebye – and his expertise of the Scandinavian market – perhaps the perfect figure to lead this move for his fellow Norwegian.
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