Rangers have struck gold on Aribo 2.0

Irrespective of what happens in the remainder of this season, Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl needs to work with the club to overhaul the recruitment strategy.

The Light Blues have not won the Scottish Premiership since the 2020/21 campaign and their last domestic cup came under Philippe Clement in the 2023/24 season.

A large reason as to why the Gers have struggled in recent years is that they have not recruited well enough for the money that they have had to spend in the market.

They failed to adequately replace the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Joe Aribo, Connor Goldson, and Ryan Kent from the iconic title-winning team under Steven Gerrard, hence why they are almost five years without a title.

The German head coach, therefore, needs to tap in to what has been successful for the Ibrox giants in the past ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What Danny Rohl can learn from Rangers’ most successful transfers

One of the common themes running across the club’s best signings in recent years, from Gerrard’s team to now, is that the successes have been up-and-coming players with something to prove.

The likes of Kent, Goldson, and Aribo all came from the lower tiers in English football with something to prove, and made names for themselves at Ibrox as young players who wanted to take the next step in their careers.

Rangers even went on to make a profit when they sold Aribo to Southampton for £6m after landing him for £300k from League One Charlton three years earlier.

The Nigeria international scored 26 goals in 149 games for Rangers, including one in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, before being sold for a profit, and left the club as an undoubtedly excellent piece of business.

Rohl can learn from the success of Aribo, Kent, and Goldson, because they are the kind of players who should be targeted, rather than Championship veterans who are past their peak and unlikely to improve.

Rangers have already signed their next Joe Aribo

Whilst Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell failed with the signing of Joe Rothwell, who fits the Championship veteran category, last summer, the pair did sign the club’s next Aribo.

Amidst some flops, like Rothwell, Thelwell hit the jackpot with the signing of central defender Emmanuel Fernandez, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Premiership earlier this month.

25/26 Premiership	Emmanuel Fernandez
Appearances	22
Goals	5
Clean sheets	9
Clearances	150
Ball recoveries	106
Ground duel success rate	65%
Aerial duel success rate	72%

The central defender, who only started one game under Martin, has been a revelation at the heart of the defence for Rohl, starting 19 of his 20 appearances under the German boss.

Fernandez’s ability to combine incredibly dominant defensive work, as evidenced by his success rate in duels on the ground and in the air, with a threat in the opposition’s box has made him a fan favourite at Ibrox this season.

Rangers paid £3.5m to sign him from League One side Peterborough United last summer in a move that was a risk for the club, because he had never played above the third tier in England.

Fortunately, as was also the case with Aribo, he has made the step up from League One to the Premiership and emerged as a star for the Light Blues, which has caused his market value to soar.

Football Insider reports this week that the Scottish giants could accept an offer of up to £20m for the central defender, amid interest from West Ham United, just 12 months after signing him for £3.5m.

This means that the Gers could rake in a £16.5m profit a year after signing the central defender, should the Hammers or any other team come in to snap him up for £20m in the next summer transfer window.

Irrespective of whether or not he moves on from Ibrox this summer, Rangers valuing Fernandez at £20m already shows that the club hit the jackpot with the defender, as does the fact that he was named in the Team of the Year this month.

The 24-year-old star has followed in Aribo’s footsteps by coming from League One to Rangers to deliver excellent performances and increase his value.

Hopefully, Fernandez can complete Aribo’s journey by also winning the Premiership title with Rohl’s side in the final games of the current campaign.