Lille coach opens up on ‘regrets’ as Rangers’ Rafael Fernandes deal exposes transfer blunder
Although there are many debatable aspects concerning the talent available to Rangers,
one thing that cannot be said about Nils Koppen and his colleagues is that
Philippe Clement’s squad lacks depth.
With everyone in peak condition, Clement has the option of selecting from
Hamza Igamane, Danilo, and a reinvigorated Cyriel Dessers for the attack.
With the arrival of Lyall Cameron as planned and the emergence of teenagers
Bailey Rice, Findlay Curtis, and Paul Nsio, the midfield options now include
Nico Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, and Connor Barron, bolstering the youth
and athleticism of the lineup.
Both Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz would fit into most Premiership XIs – if not all except
Celtic – along with Dujon Sterling and especially James Tavernier on the other side.
In the central defence position, Rangers have John Souttar, Robin Propper,
Clinton Nsiala, Sterling, and now Rafael Fernandes as options.
Lille boss fears ‘regrets’ after Rafael Fernandes
joins Rangers
Lille coach Bruno Genesio, in conversation with Le11, expressed his concern about
whether Fernandes’ departure and the unsuccessful attempt to secure a deal for
Luca Jaquez from FC Luzern will adversely affect LOSC, which currently has just
four contracted senior centre-backs.
Among them is Samuel Umtiti. The ex-Barcelona keeper, who is struggling with
injuries and has not appeared in a Lille shirt since December 2023.
“I believe we had answers to make up for potential absences,” Genesio sighs,
as Lille’s meticulously arranged plans falter late in the window.
“We aimed to acquire a player who has now signed with Stuttgart
(Luca Jaquez is moving to Germany for £4.5 million) in order to
bolster our central defence, which lacks depth.
“It appears that this deal was not finalized at the last moment, and
we did not sign this player whom I deemed necessary.
The reasons are unknown to me.
The team is set for the rest of the season, and it’s our
responsibility to maximize its potential.
„Allerdings hätten wir es gern gesehen, dass die Luca-Jaquez-Akte erfolgreich ist.“
Ibrox loanee struggled for game time in France
Of course, it is definitely worth noting that Bruno Genesio did not view
Rafael Fernandes as a particularly important part of his first-team setup.
Despite Leny Yoro’s expensive transfer to Manchester United during the summer,
the £2.5 million signing from Arouca did not feature in any Ligue 1 matches.
However, if Aissa Mandi, Alexandro, or Bafode Diakite were to be sidelined for
a while along with Umtiti, Fernandes would still prove to be quite useful.
” I would have liked to have an additional player in defense,”
former Lyon boss Genesio adds, noting that Diakite and Alexandro are on
track to each accumulate over 4,000 minutes during the 2024/25 season.
„Ich hoffe, dass sie weiterhin gute Leistungen bringen und vor allem,
dass wir in dieser Position auch mit Aissa keine Probleme haben werden.
“ While it could harm us, that’s just how the winter transfer window goes.
“I hope we won’t regret missing the chance to acquire this player in
the winter transfer window.”
On the topic of regrets, Rangers and Philippe Clement certainly had their portion
following the humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to second-tier Queen’s Park on Sunday.
Rafael Fernandes started for Gers for the first time on Sunday afternoon,
and he was one of the few players not to be blamed as the visitors scored
with their sole shot on goal during the entire match.
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