Glasgow Rangers have made their eighth signing of the summer as winger Vaclav Cerny joins the Ibrox side on a season-long loan deal.
Arriving from Bundesliga side VFL Wolfsburg, it is clear the Czech international – who represented his nation at Euro 2024 – has the skills required to shine in Scotland.
Philippe Clement was full of praise for the player upon his arrival, saying: “I am delighted to welcome Václav to the squad, he is an exciting player, with valuable experience in European football.”
Hopefully, this is a signing which is the catalyst for more players to join the Light Blues ahead of their first league match against Hearts next week.
Clement will be aiming for a couple of more experienced bodies to join the club, but he is still keen on signing youngsters with extraordinarily high ceilings.
Could the South American market be looked at once again? It looks like the experienced manager has targeted a signing from the continent…
Rangers eye move for Colombian talent
According to reports, Rangers are keen on signing right-back Edier Ocampo in the next few weeks.
The 20-year-old could be close to leaving Colombian outfit Athletico Nacional after coach Pablo Repetto left him out of the previous match against Millonarios due to the interest expressed in the young defender.
Indeed, Rangers, Hellas Verona and French side Toulouse have tabled offers for him, according to the report, while interest in the MLS comes from the Vancouver Whitecaps, indicating that Clement has some competition to fend off.
The Belgian is eyeing up signings from all over the pitch and, with the future of James Tavernier in doubt, could Ocampo be an ideal replacement for the captain should he make the move from South America to Scotland this summer?
Latest on James Tavernier’s Ibrox future
While there have been several new arrivals this summer, Clement is now at a stage where he needs to move a few first-team players on. Not only to create space in the squad, but to also raise vital funds for one or two marquee signings.
There is still plenty of time to go until the summer transfer window closes, yet the return of the new season is fast approaching, with players who clearly aren’t good enough looking like they could start the league opener against Hearts.
Tavernier is one member of the senior leadership team who could be about to end their stay at Ibrox, as several clubs are keen on signing him.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
58
24
12
2022/23
55
18
10
2021/22
58
18
17
2020/21
46
19
16
2019/20
46
3
15
2018/19
57
17
20
2017/18
46
9
9
2016/17
44
2
7
2015/16
50
15
23
Former Gers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst – who is now in charge of Besiktas – wants to reunite with the Englishman. Fellow Turkish side Trabzonspor are also interested, having made an offer last week to secure his services.
His future still remains uncertain, yet this is surely the ideal chance for the club to cash in on the player, who has two years left on his current contract.
Since joining Rangers back in the summer of 2015, Tavernier has played 460 competitive games for the club, scoring a quite remarkable 125 goals. Add in a further 129 assists during his spell in Glasgow, and it becomes evident that the club may never have a right-back who can replicate these kinds of numbers again.
The last few seasons, despite the goal involvements, have seen the likes of Tavernier and Connor Goldson fail to inspire the team to more domestic honours, stumbling when it really matters.
Ocampo might not be the finished product, but Clement’s new strategy is clearly signing youngsters with significant potential in order to secure a major profit for them in the future.
Could the Colombian gem send the captain packing? Only time will tell.
Edier Ocampo’s career statistics
Despite not turning 21 until October, the starlet has already made 58 senior appearances for Athletico Nacional. Add to that another 21 games for the Colombia U20 side, and it is clear he is ready for a fresh challenge.
While primarily a right-back, Ocampo can also operate in a more advanced role as a right-winger, which means, regardless of where he plays, Clement can expect the player to get forward and contribute towards the attack.
In 21 club matches during 2024, the 20-year-old – who has "seriously high potential", as noted above – scored three goals and chipped in with an assist in the Colombian top flight, showcasing his attacking qualities.
During the opening Apertura section of the league, Ocampo ranked second among his teammates for goals and assists (four), while also ranking second for big chances created (two), third for key passes per game (1.4), first for successful dribbles per game (1.3) and fifth for shots on target per game (0.7), yet more evidence of his growing attacking qualities.
The more he plays, the better Ocampo will get. With a move to Europe looking like it could be the most likely option, Clement will need to act swiftly to bring this deal over the line.
If Tavernier does leave, it opens up space for the youngster to develop further at Rangers at right-back, while even pushing forward to a more attacking position should the opportunity arise.
This will depend on Clement managing to secure a deal to send the captain packing in the next week or so, however.
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If Ocampo is available for a decent fee, then this is a move which the club should be doing everything they can to get over the line.
He is young, ready to play senior football and clearly has a limitless ceiling when it comes to future potential. With Cerny arriving through the doors at Ibrox, more should be ready to follow suit in the coming weeks, that’s for sure.