The summer transfer window does not officially open for business until later this month but Glasgow Rangers have moved quickly to get their business done.
Oscar Cortes was the first through the door on a second loan stint from Lens, with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer, after his first one was cut short by an injury earlier this year.
Brazilian left-back Jefte was then snapped up on a permanent deal from Fluminense to come in and potentially replace Borna Barisic, who departed upon the expiry of his contract at Ibrox.
The third and most recent addition of the summer came on Monday as the Light Blues officially confirmed a pre-contract agreement with French centre-back Clinton Nsiala.
He will join up with his new teammates on the 1st of July after his contract with AC Milan expires and head of recruitment Nils Koppen described him as an "exciting" talent who could develop under Philippe Clement in Glasgow.
The Scottish giants are not done there, however, as Koppen and Clement are now reportedly looking to seal yet another signing before the midway point in June.
Rangers closing in on fourth summer signing
According to an update from Rangers Review's Chris Jack, the Gers are closing in on the signing of winger Yusuf Kabadayi from German giants Bayern Munich.
The report claims that the Light Blues are now in pole position to seal a deal for the Germany U20 international to bolster the club's options out wide.
It states that Rangers are 'in line' to make the talented forward their fourth summer signing, following on from Cortes, Jefte, and the most recent addition of Nsiala.
This comes after The 4th Official had reported, via their Patreon page (09/06/24), that the club had agreed a deal with Bayern to land the attacker, with a fee of between £1m and £1.5m on the table from the Scottish side.
Their update claimed that Kabadayi was set for talks with the Gers over a possible move to Ibrox and the latest report from Rangers Review now suggests that those discussions are set to lead to a positive conclusion for Koppen and Clement.
Therefore, it appears as though the 20-year-old whiz is set to be the next man to walk through the doors at Ibrox to join the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
How will he fit in under Clement and with his new teammates? Well, the young gem could thrive whilst playing alongside current Gers attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell.
Why Todd Cantwell is a winger's dream
The former Norwich City playmaker has been a fantastic signing for the club since Michael Beale brought him in from the English side on a permanent deal in January of last year.
Cantwell hit the ground running in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues as he caught the eye with his attacking performances during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
The right-footed magician racked up six goals, four assists, and five 'big chances' created in 16 appearances in the division, which speaks to his ability to make a consistent impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
That carried over into his first full year in Glasgow as the 26-year-old wizard showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch once again in a Gers shirt.
He was competing for a starting spot in the number ten role under Clement with Wales international Tom Lawrence and came out on top against the former Derby County star.
Appearances
30
23
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
0.7
Goals
7
2
Assists
5
3
Big chances created
7
4
Key passes per game
1.7
1.1
As you can see in the table above, Cantwell outperformed him as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout the Premiership season, albeit it was not enough to secure the title for his team.
The talented whiz also scored his seven goals from an xG of 5.49, which is an overperformance of +1.51, and only Rabbi Matondo (five goals from 2.92 xG) outperformed his expected tally by more within the Rangers squad this season.
These statistics show that the English maestro is a dream for a winger as he has the ability to consistently create chances for his teammates, which provides the wide forwards with opportunities to score, and has the finishing skills to land assists for the wingers if they can create openings for him.
Why Yusuf Kabadayi would thrive with Cantwell
The German youngster could thrive with Cantwell as he is a player who likes to score goals and could benefit from the current Gers star's creativity.
Speaking on Rangers Review's YouTube channel, German expert Adam Khan described Kabadayi as a "goal-oriented" who likes to play on the left flank, an "inverted" winger, and cut inside into central areas to use his right foot to take shots at goal.
This suggests that the ex-Canaries magician would be the perfect number ten for him to play with as his ability to buzz around the pitch and pick up pockets of space to then progress the ball forward to wingers and strikers could constantly create opportunities for the wide man.
As you can see in the table below, Kabadayi enjoyed a taste of senior football for the first time last season as he scored four goals in 11 starts for Schalke on loan.
Appearances
23
Starts
11
Goals
4
Big chances created
1
Dribbles completed per game
1.1
His form at youth level for Bayern Munich, however, suggests that there is much more to come from the right-footed dynamo in the years to come.
At the age of 20, Rangers will be buying him for potential as well as his ability in the present day, which means that there does need to be a degree of patience from supporters if he does not hit the ground running as an immediate star at Ibrox.
However, a return of 28 goals and ten assists in 73 appearances for Bayern at U17, U19, and second team level suggest that the potential is there for him to provide a big goal threat from the wing, which he showed glimpses of with his four strikes for Schalke.
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Therefore, Kabadayi could thrive alongside Cantwell as the attacking midfielder has the quality to create chances for the winger to find the back of the net in a Light Blues shirt.
