Clement acknowledges that Rangers’ first January signing, Fernandes, is “not immediately ready.”
Philippe Clement acknowledges that new signing Rafael Fernandes is "not immediately ready" to play for Rangers.
Clement has stated that Fernandes is not immediately ready to make an impact in the Rangers starting XI due to his limited playing time last season.
Rangers’ scouting team monitored Fernandes during his time in Portugal, but he has had few opportunities since his move to Ligue 1.
Consequently, Clement has set realistic expectations for the defender and plans to assess him before deciding on the option to buy.
“I’m pleased that we believe in his potential,” Clement said on Rangers TV.
“However, he’s not someone who’s ready right away, as he barely played last year.
But the scouting team saw him play the previous season in Portugal, and I also watched several of those games.
He’s showing great qualities—speed, good passing, power, and he’s young and athletic.
We’ve received positive feedback from Lille players who trained with him, and given the circumstances, I believe he’s a good signing for us.
We have him on loan for six months, which gives us the chance to test him, get to know him as a person, and determine if he will be ready for Rangers in the future.
We believe in his potential, and now we have six months to assess it. If we all agree on his potential, then we’ll have the option to make the move permanent.”
