Rangers can repeat their Prso masterclass in deal for “impressive” gem

Glasgow Rangers stars Hamza Igamane and Danilo proved that Philippe Clement has two strikers who he can depend upon during tough matches, especially following the Old Firm victory on Thursday.

Igamane may not have gotten on the scoresheet, but his relentless nature and ability to cause problems for the Celtic defence made him a handful, especially as none of the opposition had played against him before.

Danilo may have only come off the bench with ten minutes remaining, but it took him less than a minute to score the third goal for the Light Blues, sealing a famous triumph.

The performances of the pair mean Cyriel Dessers has dropped the pecking order, which isn’t considered a bad thing among the Ibrox faithful.

Having a wide repertoire of centre-forwards has helped managers in the past win plenty of trophies. Think back to Walter Smith having Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley and Gordon Durie in his squad, or Dick Advocaat utilising the likes of Michael Mols, Rod Wallace and Billy Dodds to great effect.

Alex McLeish was no different. Shota Arveladze, Ronald De Boer, Mols and Peter Lovenkrands all came and went under the Scot, but it was perhaps Dado Prso who made the biggest impact at Ibrox.

Dado Prso’s Rangers statistics

The 2003/04 season was an anti-climactic affair, especially after the treble success of the year prior. Finances at Ibrox weren’t great, which meant McLeish had to cut costs during the summer of 2003, relying on free transfers rather than spending money.

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A trophyless campaign followed, but it was clear the manager was trying to build a solid first-team squad for 2004/05. Firstly, Jean-Alain Boumsong signed a pre-contract deal in December 2003, but it was a similar deal for another European which would turn heads.

In May 2004, McLeish announced that the Light Blues had agreed on a deal to sign AS Monaco striker Dado Prso when his contract with the French giants expired.

This was a player who had played in the Champions League final and was set to represent Croatia at Euro 2004. It was a big statement of intent by the Light Blues and the move paid off handsomely, especially during his maiden season.

The Croatian forward formed a wonderful strike partnership with Nacho Novo. The ‘little and large’ duo scored a total of 46 goals between them as Rangers not only won the League Cup but also wrestled the title back from Celtic after a dramatic final day of the season.

Prso continued to shine the following season, netting a wonderful acrobatic effort against Celtic early in the campaign, but once again, the Gers failed to win a trophy.

2006/07 proved to be his final term in professional football as he retired following a knee injury. Despite playing just 124 games for the club and scoring 37 goals, Prso is still talked about to this day.

The Light Blues have since had an affinity for Croatian players, as Nikica Jelavic, Niko Kranjcar, Borna Barisic, Nikola Katic and Antonio Colak have since turned out for the Glasgow side.

Might Clement be looking to add to this list? As the Gers have shown interest recently in a Croatian midfielder as they look to repeat their Prso masterclass.

Rangers could land the next Prso

According to a report by reporter Ižak Ante Sučić for Germanijak earlier this week, the Ibrox side are showing interest in Varaždin midfielder Leon Belcar.

Club Brugge and AZ Alkmaar are also keen on luring the player away from his homeland, with the report stating that he has a contract until 2026, which means any side keen will have to pay a transfer fee to secure his signature.

The president of the club claims that no official bids have been made, but it may take a bid of around €700k (£580k) in order to sign him, which is certainly within the club’s budget, despite their financial issues.

With so many Croatian players enjoying plenty of success at Rangers, could Belcar be the next one to enjoy a productive spell in Scottish football?

Leon Belcar’s statistics this season

The strongest area of the current Rangers team is in midfield. Nicolas Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, Connor Barron and Ianis Hagi have been impressive in recent months.

Why sign Belcar then? Well, for one, he would add some solid strength in depth to the side, especially as one or two injuries could impact the whole midfield.

Not only that, but the player is still only 22, which suggests he has plenty of development still to do, something that he could achieve at Ibrox with regular game time and exposure to European football on a consistent basis.

The defensive midfielder has featured in all but one of his club’s HNL fixtures this term, scoring three times in the process. Temperament may be an issue considering he received six yellow cards in that time, but this will improve with age.

In the Croatian top flight, Belcar averages 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and wins 4.4 total duels per game – a success rate of 58% – which indicates how effective he is off the ball in the heart of the midfield.

Despite operating in a deeper position, the youngster has still managed to create three big chances while succeeding with 54% of his dribble attempts. This mixture of attacking and defensive abilities could see him become an instant hit at Ibrox should he make the move.

Hailed for being “really impressive” by Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson amid the links to Rangers, Belcar could turn out to be the next young talent to make their name at the club.

Given the impact Croatian players have had in Glasgow throughout the years, in particular Prso, the Ibrox supporters would be keen on adding another to the squad.

Much will depend on finances and whether Clement can move some deadwood out of the club, but should a deal be struck, it would surely turn into a wise investment indeed by the Belgian.

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