Rangers hit the jackpot on Beale signing who’s worth more than Sima

Glasgow Rangers saw their final game prior to the international break called off due to a waterlogged pitch, yet the extra recovery time may be a blessing in disguise for Philippe Clement.

The Ibrox side have been ravaged by injuries over the previous few weeks and while they have continued their impressive form, the break comes at precisely the right time.

January signing Oscar Cortes suffered an injury against Kilmarnock last month which has since required surgery, and he is expected to be out long-term, a significant blow for the club.

The youngster has already scored once for the Gers and grabbed two assists, looking lively in his appearances, but he isn’t the only player who is out injured.

Abdallah Sima – scorer of 15 goals this term – has been missing since January, while minor injuries have hampered the likes of Todd Cantwell, Nico Raskin and Rabbi Matondo during spells in 2023/24.

The volume of games that the club has had to play obviously has not helped matters, but with a break of nearly two weeks providing some much-needed respite, Clement may be able to get some of his players match fit and ready to attack the final few weeks of the season.

One player who has endured his fair share of bad luck this season is Danilo, as the new signing has been out since December.

Danilo’s injury woes for Rangers

During a clash against Hearts in December, the Brazilian striker suffered a knee injury which didn’t look as serious as first anticipated.

Following the tie, Clement delivered an update on his injury, and it was not good news for the club, saying:

“Danilo has a problem with his knee because of a bad tackle in the game, an unlucky situation, part of football. Because of contact, he had a problem with his knee. The chances are he requires surgery so yes, it could be long-term.”

Indeed, the player has not been seen since and Clement has had to rely on Cyriel Dessers as his main centre-forward option over the last few months.

Prior to this knee injury, Danilo had suffered a fractured cheekbone during a match against St Johnstone in September.

The former Ajax striker nodded the Gers in front against the Saints but collided with Liam Gordan in the process and came off worse for wear.

He was out for nine games and it disrupted any momentum he had achieved during his first few weeks at the club.

It’s safe to say he has not had the best of luck since moving to Glasgow, yet during his brief time on the pitch between the two injuries, Danilo has shown his class.

Danilo’s statistics at Rangers

Michael Beale had the summer transfer window to fill the void left by departing favourites Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, and he spent rather lavishly in the process.

Cyriel Dessers cost £4.5m, Sam Lammers joined for a fee of £3m, but it was Danilo who was the big money signing of the transfer window, costing the Gers around £6m from Dutch side Feyenoord, and it looked as though the heir to Morelos had been found.

For whatever reason, however, Beale started the striker just twice before he was sacked at the start of October, with Danilo bagging three times for the Gers under the Englishman, but it wasn’t until Clement arrived that he began to be trusted more in the starting XI.

Slowly but surely, the 24-year-old gained confidence and started to look like a £6m striker. A late winner against Hearts proved to be the catalyst as he then shone during the following Premiership tie against Dundee.

The Light Blues won the match 5-0 in what was a dominating away performance, while Danilo was in wonderful form.

Not only did he get on the scoresheet, but the Brazilian grabbed an assist, registered nine total shots, succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts and made four key passes, demonstrating how impressive he was.

In truth, the striker could have scored more than once, as he missed a staggering four big chances, and it was certainly an opportunity missed to add to his goal tally.

That goal was his last for the Gers prior to suffering a knee injury, as he subsequently missed the League Cup final against Aberdeen, along with the previous three European ties.

Despite his injury issues, he still ranks sixth among the squad for goals and assists in the top flight (five), while also ranking first for scoring frequency (a goal every 133 minutes), first for shots on target per game (1.5) and fifth for goals (four), clearly showcasing his worth when given an opportunity.

Additionally, his value has also risen since joining last summer.

Danilo’s market value at Rangers

The centre-forward was lauded as having a “bright” showing against Sparta Prague by Clement in October and according to Football Transfers, his market value has risen to €9.4m (£8m) and it looks as though it will continue to rise, despite him missing large chunks of the season.

For context, such a fee would make him the second highest-valued player in the entire squad, ahead of the likes of Sima (£6.7m) and James Tavernier (£5.3m), but behind Wolves loanee Fabio Silva (£11m).

It is clear that the Ibrox side have struck gold on the player, therefore. The 5 foot 8 machine may have cost £6m, a significant fee for Beale to spend, but it already looks justified considering his current valuation.

Hopefully, he regains full fitness in the next few weeks and begins to take steps to make his way back into the first-team fold, especially with the title race going right down to the wire.

Clement urgently needs an out-and-out number nine who can score from anywhere, instead of having to rely on Dessers to be the main source of goals.

Going through a rigorous pre-season ahead of the 2024/25 campaign could see the former Feyenoord striker emerge as one of Clement’s key players next term, and he could certainly spearhead the team to more trophies.

If he does, then they will no doubt make a huge profit on the player, and they can rinse and repeat the cycle to establish a player trading model at Ibrox.