Glasgow Rangers decided to overhaul their playing squad in the recent summer transfer window, by allowing a number of experienced players to move on from the club.
Philippe Clement and their head of recruitment opted to allow Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe, Ben Davies, Todd Cantwell, and John Lundstram to leave Ibrox, permanently or on loan.
This allowed Rangers to bring in new recruits to freshen up and bolster the squad, with the likes of Connor Barron, Jefte, Vaclav Cerny, Robin Propper, and Nedim Bajrami, among others, brought in before the deadline.
Barisic was allowed to leave on a free transfer at the end of the 2023/24 campaign after six years of service in Glasgow, in which time the Croatia international racked up 54 assists in 236 appearances in all competitions.
The 31-year-old left-back’s departure from Ibrox opened the door for the Gers to sign another player in that position to compete with Ridvan Yilmaz for the starting spot on the left side of the defence.
Clement and Koppen went out into the market to sign a young and promising player for that role, snapping up 20-year-old Brazilian gem Jefte.
How much Rangers paid for Jefte
It was reported that the Scottish Premiership giants agreed a deal with Fluminense worth around €800k (£600k) for the young defender in the summer transfer window.
Whilst it was a relatively cheap deal for the Light Blues, it was also claimed that the Brazilian club will retain 20% of his rights, which means that they would be entitled to a sizeable chunk of any future fee the full-back is sold for further down the line.
As a 20-year-old, there should not be any pressure for Jefte to hit the ground running and be a roaring success in his first season with the Gers.
He has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and learn over the years to come, which means that the youngster could improve over time and increase in value as a result.
Jefte learned a tough lesson in the club’s Champions League qualifying clash with Dynamo Kyiv last month, as he was sent off for two bookable offences, but has also shown signs of promise in the Scottish Premiership.
The former Fluminense prospect has started each of the last three games for Rangers at left-back, due to Ridvan Yilmaz’s absence, and impressed with his most recent showing.
Sofascore rating
7.6
Tackles + interceptions
4
Pass accuracy
86%
Dribbles completed
2/2
Ground duels won
6/7
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian full-back was solid defensively, winning six of his seven duels on the ground, and reliable in possession.
The Gers number 22 has won 61% of his ground duels in total in the Premiership so far this season and this shows that he has provided a strong presence down the flank.
Things could have been very different for the left-back position at Ibrox, however, if former Rangers head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst had got his wish, as the Dutchman missed out on one of his targets for that role.
Rangers' interest in Ian Maatsen
Speaking on Dutch show VTBL earlier this year, the ex-Gers manager revealed that Netherlands international Ian Maatsen was a target for the club during his time at Ibrox.
The now-Besiktas boss claimed that the young left-back, who was described as “special” by writer Tom Overend, was on his transfer “list” as he wanted to bring the talented gem to Glasgow to bolster his squad.
However, van Bronckhorst added that it did not work out in the end and Rangers were unable to strike a deal with Premier League side Chelsea for his services, although he did not reveal whether it would have been a permanent or a loan move for the dynamo.
The only transfer window of the Dutchman’s reign at Ibrox that Maatsen would have been available for would have been the summer transfer window of 2022, between his loan spells with Coventry City and Burnley in the English Championship.
Ultimately, Burnley won the race for his services on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2022 and he went on to win the Championship title with Vincent Kompany’s side.
Ian Maatsen's current market valuation
During the recent summer transfer window, Premier League side Aston Villa swooped in to sign Maatsen from Chelsea for a reported fee of £37.5m.
It was claimed that there was a £35m release clause in his contract with the Blues and that it expired before the Villans came to negotiate the deal for his signature.
That move means that the 22-year-old sensation is worth roughly £37m more than the current first-choice left-back at Rangers, Jefte, just over two years on from van Bronckhorst’s failure to lure him to Ibrox.
Whilst it remains unclear as to whether he was keen on a permanent deal or a loan for Maatsen, the Dutch full-back appears to be one that got away for the Light Blues.
In the season after the Gers attempted to sign him, the left-footed whiz caught the eye with his attacking contributions from left-back for Burnley in the Championship.
Appearances
39
Goals
4
Big chances created
11
Assists
6
Ground duel success rate
51%
As you can see in the table above, Maatsen reached double figures for goal contributions in 39 appearances, whilst creating 11 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in total.
The Netherlands international then made 12 appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, before being sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund.
Maatsen produced three goals and two assists in 23 outings for the German giants in all competitions, and played seven matches on their run to the Champions League final – losing to Real Madrid in the final at Wembley.
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His career has gone from strength to strength, most recently being signed for a whopping £37.5m, since van Bronckhorst tried to sign him for Rangers, which is why he is one that got away.