Rohl's own Maeda: Rangers begin talks to sign "very pacy" sensation
Will Rangers be busy in the January transfer window?
Well, new manager Danny Röhl will certainly demand that they are, having taken over a complete mess, following Russell Martin’s short but ill-fated tenure.
Well, after spending around £30m on 13 new recruits in the summer, Rangers reported annual losses of £14.8m in their latest accounts on Friday, despite seeing revenue increase to £94.1m, a club record.
Despite this, the club are still expected to be busy in the January transfer window, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be tasked with finding gems in the market, so has one already been identified?
Rangers' search for a new attacker
One of Rangers’ many issues this season so far has been a lack of attacking firepower.
Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama have scored more than three goals, with youngster Findlay Curtis and Danilo the only players on three.
Thus, according to a report in Kazakhstan, Rangers are attempting to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek.
They note that “negotiations began” between his representatives and the Glasgow-based giants, while Dundee United and Aberdeen as well as clubs in Slovakia, Russia, Greece are also in the race.
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So, could he soon become the first Kazakh player to represent Rangers, with Kazakhstan thereby becoming the 67th different nationality represented at Ibrox?
What Galymzhan Kenzhebek would bring to Rangers
Despite the fact he is only 22 years old, Galymzhan Kenzhebek has had something of a journeyman career to date.
After bouncing around various Kazakh clubs including Kairat Almaty, a name that’ll send a shudder down the spine of any Celtic fan, and then did something few of his compatriots do by venturing abroad, enjoying stints with Akritas Chlorakas in Cyprus and Košice in Slovakia.
He did return home in June, joining Yelimay Semey, for whom he was on fire, scoring six goals in his final nine Kazakh Premier League appearances before the season concluded on 26 October, firing his team up to fourth, thereby qualifying for a major UEFA competition for the first time ever.
However, by the time they play that historic Conference League qualifier in August, it seems unlikely that Kenzhebek will still call Semey home.
The Rangers Journal labels him a “very pacy and direct” winger, also praising his “goal-scoring instincts” and outlining that he is a high-volume winger who “loves to just get the ball and commit defenders”.
Meantime, Kai Watson was also impressed, noting that he is a “quality ball carrier” and could add quality to the Rangers squad at a pretty low price.
Well, as well as starring for his club, Kenzhebek has also made the breakthrough at international level this year too.
He scored his first-ever international goal at the Borisov Arena against Belarus in a friendly in June, before netting twice during a 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein last month, thereby starting each of Kazakhstan’s last six World Cup qualifiers, including Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, a famous point, a match Nicolas Raskin also started.
So, could Kenzhebek replicate Daizen Maeda’s success from across the city?
Well, when the Japanese international arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos on a bargain deal in January 2022, he was a complete unknown, but his skillset sounds very reminiscent to that of Kenzhebek, as a pacey forward who typically operates off the left flank.
While an “inconsistent finisher” right now in the view of Watson – much like the at-times erratic Maeda was when he arrived in Glasgow – Rangers will hope their potential new recruit can go on to eventually prove equally as clinical in Glasgow derbies.
Maeda’s favourite opponents
Clubs
Appearances
Goals
Hibernian
15
7
Kilmarnock
13
7
Hearts
12
6
Livingston
7
6
Rangers
22
5
Motherwell
12
5
Aberdeen
11
5
St Johnstone
10
5
Ōita Torinīta
6
5
Stats via Transfermarkt
So, while Kenzhebek is not proven at an elite level, he is seemingly worth the risk and, at a low fee, could prove to be a masterstroke in recruitment?
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