Clement has unearthed a Ryan Kent-like talisman in “gifted” Rangers star

Glasgow Rangers were more functional than fantastic during their 1-0 Premiership victory at Ibrox over the weekend.

It took a moment of genius from Tom Lawrence to settle the match, which lacked quality throughout long spells. Jack Butland also played a huge part, making a crucial penalty save when the score was 1-0 to Rangers and that is how the match finished.

Philippe Clement now has to get through matches against Lyon in the Europa League before a league tie against St Johnstone on Sunday evening prior to the next international break.

Two wins could go a long way in further boosting morale among the supporters, but it is clear the Belgian requires more players who can make a difference during matches for the Light Blues, that’s for sure.

Long gone are the days when the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent would be able to conjure up a moment of magic if a match wasn’t going in the way of Rangers.

Under Steven Gerrard, all three were superb at times, flaunting their talents in Scotland, which eventually saw the Light Blues win the league title after a decade-long wait.

Losing Morelos and Kent for nothing is a decision which still rankles the Ibrox faithful, especially as on his day, Kent was one of the finest players in the country.

Ryan Kent’s statistics at Rangers

The winger first joined the club in the summer of 2018. Gerrard utilised his connections at Liverpool to secure the youngster on a season-long loan deal ahead of his first season in charge of the Ibrox side.

While ambitions to challenge Celtic for the league title were perhaps slightly premature, the club did defeat their Old Firm rivals twice across the course of the campaign, with Kent scoring in a 2-1 loss at Parkhead in March.

Overall, the Englishman made a total of 43 appearances in all competitions for the Gers during his temporary spell, scoring six goals and chipping in with nine assists.

He endeared himself to the supporters as the season went on, looking like one of the liveliest players in the team. With his loan spell ending, it appeared as though he would go on to bigger and brighter things.

Gerrard wanted him permanently, however, and the saga went on throughout the entire summer transfer window in 2019. Finally, on deadline day, it was announced that the Anfield side had accepted an offer of £7.5m for the attacker, and he joined on a four-year deal.

Initially, it proved to be an inspired signing. The 2019/20 season saw Kent register 12 goal contributions – eight goals and four assists – but it was the following season that he was at his very best.

As the Gers strolled to the domestic title, Kent scored 13 times while grabbing 14 assists across 52 matches, underlining how important he was. Indeed, he also created nine big chances domestically, while averaging 1.8 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles per game, showcasing his attacking talents.

The following two seasons saw his goal contribution output drop, as he netted just six times across both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.

As the final few months of the latter term approached, it was clear Kent was going to depart the club for nothing once his contract expired, thus ensuring the Gers suffered a major loss.

While his performances were generally poor during his final months, the club missed having a player who is able to turn a game on its head via a moment of magic.

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Might Clement have signed his very own Kent-like figure this summer? Nedim Bajrami certainly looks like he’s capable of generating chances from nothing.

Nedim Bajrami’s Rangers statistics

The Albanian was linked during the final few days of the summer transfer window as Clement sought another few players in order to bolster his side.

On deadline day, the Belgian announced that he had signed Bajrami from Italian side Sassuolo for a fee of £3.4m, and it looks like money well spent.

Amid the links to the attacking midfielder, Kai Watson profiled him for the Rangers Journal, lavishing praise on him in the process, saying: “If you recognise the name Nedim Bajrami it’s probably because of the screamer he scored inside the first minute against Italy at the Euros! A technically gifted, intelligent footballer than can play in multiple positions with plenty of Serie A experience.”

He had to wait to make his debut, coming on as a sub against Dundee United, but it wasn’t long before Clement unleashed him from the start. Against Dundee in the League Cup, Bajrami grabbed an equaliser on his maiden start, before going one better against Malmö last week.

Having scored after just 23 seconds for Albania against Italy at Euro 2024, Bajrami opened his Rangers account after just 55 seconds, netting the opener against the Swedish side.

Not only that, but the player also made four key passes during the tie, while creating an impressive four big chances for his teammates, who couldn’t finish them off.

It was a stunning performance, and it proves that the Light Blues may have a player who is capable of generating moments of genius – like Kent – which could settle tight matches.

It hasn’t taken him long to get off the mark for his new club, and this ability to adapt to a new style of football and culture gives the impression that Bajrami is certainly the real deal.

Kent may have faded during his final season with the club, but there is no doubting how much of an impact he made, especially during his first three seasons at Ibrox.

Can Bajrami have a similar sort of impact? Only time will tell, but the first few weeks look very promising indeed, that’s for sure.