DEAL DONE: RANGERS LAND EXCITING ROSS MCCAUSLAND UPGRADE

As the start of the 2024/25 season edges closer, Glasgow Rangers are under pressure to sign another couple of players to bolster their squad.

The Light Blues travel to Tynecastle in just eight days for the Premiership opener against Hearts, but the starting XI might not look that different from last term.

It looks as though Philippe Clement will be busy in terms of outgoings in the coming days, as Todd Cantwell has asked for a transfer out of Ibrox. Connor Goldson is another first-team player who could be about to leave, with the Gers accepting an offer from an unnamed club.

Selling the pair will allow Clement to raise some funds for future arrivals, especially considering there have been a few links of late - with one deal having now been wrapped up.

Rangers complete deal for Bundesliga forward

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg reported earlier this week that the Gers were "on the verge" of completing a deal to sign winger Vaclav Cerny on a season-long loan for the 2024/25 campaign, with the move said to be "advanced".

The player offered a hint of his next destination by following Rangers on Instagram earlier this week, and the deal has now since been confirmed by the club.

He only moved to Wolfsburg from Twente last summer in a deal worth around £6m, but it looks like a fresh start is needed for him to revive his career.

There is no doubt that bolstering his attacking options is a priority for Clement before the visit to play Hearts next week. Cerny may not have enjoyed the most productive of seasons last year, but his time in the Netherlands was successful.

Primarily a right-winger, the Czech wide man could be a much better option than Clement’s current options on that flank, including Ross McCausland.

Ross McCauslands season in numbers

The Northern Irishman broke through into the senior squad last season, emerging as a regular in the starting XI from October until May.

While his talent was obvious, it was perhaps due to a lack of reliable options on the right wing which led to Clement persisting with McCausland.

The 21-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, scoring four times while grabbing five assists, showcasing his talents in a side which faltered coming down the stretch.

Among his teammates, the youngster ranked sixth in the squad for goals and assists (seven) in the Premiership, while also ranking eighth for successful dribbles per game (0.9) and tenth for key passes per game (1.4), decent numbers, but hardly spectacular.

There is plenty of improvement to be made during the upcoming season as the winger could be much more effective in front of goal, but it looks like Clement will give him more opportunities to impress next term.

He is at a key point in his development in which every single start for the senior team will give him that added bit of experience. Might these opportunities become restricted following Cerny's arrival to the Light Blues, however, especially considering his record in recent years?

Vaclav Cernys statistics since the start of the 2022/23 season

The winger didn’t quite hit the ground running for Wolfsburg last term, scoring just five goals and grabbing one assist in 25 matches for the German side.

Cerny did register a goal conversion rate of 20% in the Bundesliga last term, while also creating a big chance, averaging 0.6 key passes per game and succeeding with 0.6 dribbles per game, yet these statistics weren’t as good as what he achieved for Twente the year before.

The winger registered 28 goal contributions – 15 goals and 13 assists – in all competitions for the Dutch side, catching the eye on the right flank.

Not only did he rank first out of the whole squad for his Sofascore rating (7.56) in the Eredivisie that season, but he also ranked first for goals and assists (24), big chances created (17, key passes per game (2.4) and first for successful dribbles per game (2), demonstrating how effective he was on the flank for Twente.

These statistics in a league fairly similar to the Scottish Premiership, suggest that Cerny - who has "bags of pace" as noted above - would be a major upgrade to McCausland for Clement next term and could add something extra to his attacking options.

What Vaclav Cerny could offer Rangers

If the Czech attacker can hit the ground running, he will bring goals, which is something the Light Blues need in abundance from the wide areas.

Abdallah Sima did net 16 times from the left wing last term, but the next highest-scoring winger was Rabbi Matondo with just six goals, placing all the pressure on the centre-forwards to score.

Cerny has played 148 senior games during his career thus far, registering 59 goal contributions in the process, which works out as an involvement every 2.5 matches.

A loan deal is certainly something which will work well for both parties, giving Clement the chance to utilise his funds to bolster another area of the team.

Hopefully, this is the catalyst which prompts a couple of other signings to join the Glasgow side in the next seven days.

A win against Hearts is imperative to begin the league campaign in solid fashion. Last year, Michael Beale’s side lost to Kilmarnock, and it set the tone for their failed domestic campaign.

Clement will be aiming to avoid a similar scenario this time around.

2024-07-26T23:49:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd