Verified: A ‘Big Player’ assertion results in the revelation of the missing Rangers signing update.
Philippe Clement has revealed that Hamza Igamane, who joined in team training following his summer move, is “determined to become a big player” for Rangers. During his news conference on August 12, the Belgian provided an update on the Moroccan striker, stating that the young player is beginning to exhibit the same traits that persuaded the club to acquire him this summer from AS FAR Rabat.
Igamane’s status as a Gers player was officially established on July 5th, but he did not even show up for training for around a month as reports of a significant injury were refuted [4 Lads Had A Dream, July 30]. Despite not even listing the 21-year-old as a substitute throughout the preseason, Clement has implied that he might not be too far off from being featured in some way. According to Rangers Review, he stated, “Hamza is doing some of the group’s training, so he is gradually getting to the physical level that we need in training and later in the games.”
“We witnessed him perform a number of impressive feats with the ball during the games we watched in Morocco. He’s getting along fine here. In addition, he is beginning to grasp some of the vocabulary in English and is feeling really content and appreciative to be here. He is adamant about being a major player in this.
Rangers have not yet witnessed Hamza Igamane in action. Igamane’s arrival in Glasgow doesn’t appear to have gone as planned, as the club reportedly blocked him from competing in the Olympics in an attempt to gain momentum quickly.
Although there was a chance of him being unhappy, it seems unlikely that he would have been allowed to participate if he had only recently been cleared to train with the first squad. It’s unclear why he was so off considering that Clinton Nsiala was sitting on the bench versus Ajax during the preseason.
Igamane’s fans will be hoping that he becomes a star; after all, the Scottish Sun revealed on June 22 that he will be joining for £2.5 million. Instead of starting the season with a roster that was not at full strength, Clement might have used that money to sign senior additions in recent weeks.
With Cyriel Dessers as their sole fully-fit centre forward, the Light Blues now seem to be looking to sign another young striker in Mahamadou Diarra [Africa Foot, August 12]. Nevertheless, with Danilo still recovering from an injury, it would be extremely beneficial if Igamane could get back into the action as soon as possible.