Glasgow Rangers saw a glimpse of the future during their 1-0 Premiership win on Sunday lunchtime, as Hamza Igamane demonstrated why Philippe Clement spent money on bringing him to Ibrox during the summer.
Cyriel Dessers may have started the game, even grabbing an assist during the opening ten minutes, yet his performance was underwhelming once again.
Igamane replaced the Nigerian forward with 25 minutes to go, injecting a much-needed spark into the Rangers attack.
He demonstrated some neat touches and flicks while coming close to grabbing an assist. Despite not making his first appearance for the Light Blues until the Old Firm defeat at the start of the month, there are certainly plenty of claims for the young Moroccan to start against Dundee this weekend.
This area has been one of concern since Alfredo Morelos departed in the summer of 2023, as the likes of Dessers and Danilo have failed to show that they can be trusted to lead the line.
Yes, Dessers may have scored 27 goals for Rangers, but he lacks a certain ruthlessness in the penalty area. Danilo has been unlucky with injuries, which have hampered his Gers career so far.
Igamane and Dessers’ market valuation in 2024
The two strikers are at opposite ends of their careers, with Dessers about to turn 30, while Igamane is still in the embryonic stage.
This is, of course, represented in their current market valuations. The 29-year-old cost the Light Blues £4.5m last summer, but he is now worth £4m according to Transfermarkt, which is a slight drop from what the club paid for him.
As he gets older, this value will continue to deteriorate, especially if he continues to deliver subpar performances for the club.
Igamane joined from AS FAR this summer, as Clement sought to attract youth talent to the squad, although he has only been seen twice during his spell at the club.
The 21-year-old is currently valued at just £840k by Transfermarkt, but unlike Dessers, this should increase exponentially as time goes on.
Once he builds up some match fitness, the centre-forward will be in the mood to score plenty of goals for the Light Blues. If he lives up to expectations, there is no doubt Igamane can become a vital player in the coming months.
Clement will surely make a profit on the striker should he deliver on his early promise, but he isn’t the first striker that joined the club with plenty of promise, yet ultimately failed to shine…
One name that stands out is Tore Andre Flo, who joined the Gers way back in November 2000 for a club-record transfer fee.
How much Rangers paid for Tore Andre Flo
Dick Advocaat returned the club to the summit of Scottish football during his first two seasons in charge, winning five of the six trophies available to him.
When Martin O’Neil was appointed as Celtic manager in the summer of 2000, the Dutchman finally met his match. The 6-2 Old Firm defeat during the early weeks of the new season saw the Parkhead side take advantage in the title race, and they wouldn’t relinquish it.
Needing to do something to stop the charge, Advocaat spent £12m on signing Flo from Chelsea to Scotland, a truly lavish amount at the time, with the fee still standing as the transfer record for the Ibrox side.
A debut goal against none other than Celtic certainly helped endear the Norwegian to the supporters, especially as it was during a 5-1 victory for the Gers, yet they failed to win a trophy that season.
Rangers’ top five most expensive signings | ||
|---|---|---|
Player | Club signed from | Fee |
Tore Andre Flo | Chelsea | £12m |
Ryan Kent | Liverpool | £7m |
Michael Ball | Everton | £6.5m |
Mikel Arteta | Barcelona | £6m |
Danilo | Feyenoord | £6m |
Tore Andre Flo’s statistics at Rangers
This maiden strike helped build confidence early for the former Chelsea hitman, who went on to score a further 12 goals.
The 2001/02 season saw Flo emerge as a key player for the club, especially under Alex McLeish, who took over from Advocaat in December 2001.
Indeed, Flo managed to find the back of the net 25 times in 46 games for the Light Blues across all competitions, which included two goals in the League Cup final win over Ayr United – Rangers’ first trophy since the 2000 Scottish Cup.
Hopes were high that the following campaign would see a similar return. Surprisingly, however, McLeish offloaded him to Sunderland in August 2002.
Despite making a loss on the player, judging by inflation, McLeish certainly hit the jackpot on the striker.
How much Rangers sold Tore Andre Flo for in 2024 money
Despite spending less than two years in Scotland, when Sunderland came in with a bid of around £8m after just a few games of the 2002/03 season, it was evident McLeish was going to cash in.
In 2024, however – with Totally Money having adjusted for inflation over the years – this £8m transfer fee would now be colossal.
Indeed, the Norwegian would be worth a staggering £38m if he made the same move just now.
Considering he went on to struggle during his spell back in the Premier League, the decision to sell him began to look like a wise one from the manager.
The Light Blues went on to win the treble that campaign too, yet more evidence that Flo’s departure was a good idea, especially considering how much the club relied on his goals the previous season.
This hefty valuation when accounting for inflation means Flo is worth nearly ten times as much as both Igamane and Dessers combined, showcasing how good a player he was during his peak years.
While Dessers won’t be sold for a profit, Igamane will be hoping to secure a move to a top five league if he lives up to the vast hype that has been generated, not only on his arrival, but also due to his impressive cameos in the previous two games.
Flo may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but his tally of 38 goals across only 70 games proves he was certainly effective in front of goal.
