Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Nils Koppen has been appointed as the club’s new technical director on Tuesday, following his time as the head of recruitment throughout 2024 up to that point.
The Belgian chief brought in a host of new players for Philippe Clement to work with during the summer transfer window and will now have extra responsibilities to deal with moving forward.
His work in the summer cannot be fully judged yet, as a number of the signings were young players with potential to improve, but one signing that already looks to have been a shrewd move is Connor Barron.
The Scotland U21 international joined the Light Blues after his contract with Aberdeen expired at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, and he has been a fantastic addition to the squad.
Connor Barron's current market value
At the time of writing (20/11/2024), Transfermarkt currently has his market value at just €2m (£1.7m) but there is plenty of time left for that to rise.
The 22-year-old star is a young talent with time on his hands to grow and develop throughout his time at Ibrox. However, he has not taken long to settle into life in Glasgow, as the youngster has already emerged as a regular starter for the Gers.
Appearances
11
Starts
10
Pass accuracy
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
3.7
As you can see in the table above, Barron has started ten of the club’s 11 matches in the Scottish Premiership and provided an energetic presence in the middle of the park, making over six tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game on average.
In the summer, however, Rangers did release a central midfielder who is currently worth even more than the promising Scottish talent – John Lundstram.
John Lundstram's current market value
The English battler is currently valued at €4m (£3.3m) by Transfermarkt and this means that he is worth just shy of double Barron’s current value.
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After 153 appearances in all competitions during a three-year spell at Rangers, having joined on a free transfer from Sheffield United in 2021, the club opted to let him go at the end of his contract in the summer.
The 30-year-old midfielder, who was described as the “cornerstone” of the team by Maurice Ross, decided to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer, alongside former Gers teammate Borna Barisic, and his performances this season suggest that Rangers made the right decision.
Appearances
11
11
Key passes per game
0.5
1.0
Pass accuracy
88%
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.7
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
3.4
3.7
As you can see in the table above, Barron has outperformed Lundstram in a host of key metrics at league level, offering more creativity on the ball and more defensive strength out of possession.
The Scottish prospect being an upgrade on Lundstram on the pitch whilst being worth less on Transfermarkt sums up the new approach to developing young talent at Rangers.
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They are looking to bring in undervalued talent that they can improve and then sell on for profit in the future. The English midfielder is declining and in his 30s, which is why letting him go for nothing and replacing him with Barron – who has the potential to soar in value – was the right choice.