Glasgow Rangers won again over the weekend, but Philippe Clement’s side will almost certainly miss out on the Premiership title.
The 3-1 triumph at Ibrox over St Johnstone may have secured three points, but with the Union Bears walking out after 55 minutes to protest the board, the atmosphere around the club is toxic.
Patrick Stewart, the club’s new CEO, backs Clement, who will be in control during the transfer window.
With one or two new signings expected, who is the Belgian hoping to bring in?
Rangers considering a move for Championship defender
According to Swedish source Expressen, Rangers are one of several clubs interested in Burnley defender Hjalmar Ekdal, with a loan deal being discussed.
Plenty of Championship and Italian clubs are interested in wooing the midfielder away from Burnley, implying the Light Blues will face hard competition for his services.
According to the report, Clement and his team have approached Burnley about a potential loan deal, which would undoubtedly improve the club’s present defensive issue.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the club have signed a defender from England in recent years. If a deal for Ekdal could be as remarkable as the one which saw Calvin Bassey move north of the border, then Clement may just strike gold.
Why the Rangers might sign Calvin Bassey 2.0 in Hjälmar Ekdal
Bassey arrived in the summer of 2020, with little fanfare. The Nigerian was regarded as a tremendous potential, but he played only 15 games in the 2020/21 season.
Due to a defensive injury problem, Bassey cemented himself as the Gers’ first choice centre-back the next season, playing 50 games, reaching the Europa League final, and winning the Scottish Cup.
It was a spectacular climb, which led to him joining Ajax for about £23m, a club-record deal. While Ekdal may first join on loan, he has the potential to make the similar impression if he arrives from south of the border and stars.
The defender has only played 19 games for Burnley since signing two years ago, although he had a successful time at his previous club Djurgarden.
Indeed, in his final season in the Swedish top flight with the club, Ekdal not only demonstrated his attacking abilities by scoring three goals, but the 26-year-old also averaged an 88% pass success rate, won 61% of his total dues per game, and averaged 1.2 tackles per match, demonstrating his defensive abilities.
Vincent Kompany previously praised the Swede as a “intelligent” and “mobile” defender, and it is clear that his skill set would be well suited to the demands of Scottish football.
The major goal would be to get the defense back to 100% fitness. If Clement can ensure that Ekdal plays a significant role between now and the conclusion of the season, signing him on loan is a no-brainer.
Bassey made a significant beneficial impact in a short period of time. The Burnley star may follow in his footsteps.
