Giovanni van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a sensational start to life at Ibrox with a string of wins in charge of Rangers since taking over from Steven Gerrard.

The Dutchman has won eight of his nine matches since arriving in Glasgow, with the Gers conceding just two goals in that time.

He has done this with the help of the squad Steven Gerrard sculpted during his time in Scotland, with the likes of Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi all coming in under the ex-Liverpool man.

Masterstroke

Aribo, in particular, has been excellent this term and the club pulled off a masterstroke when they landed him in the summer of 2019. Gerrard brought him to Ibrox from Charlton on a free transfer, a few months before current sporting director Ross Wilson came in.

This season, Aribo has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.39 in the Premiership across 20 appearances. In that time, the midfield wizard has produced six goals and three assists, which proves that he can perform to a high level consistently whilst also chipping in with vital contributions in the final third.

Last term, he averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.40 as he managed six goals and four assists in 26 Premiership outings. This highlights how remarkably consistent he has has been over the past 18 months and why he is a crucial member of the side.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once was effusive in his praise of the gem, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game."

At the time of writing (29/12/21), Transfermarkt value him at £5.85m. This suggests that the Gers could make a hefty profit on him if they do decide to cash in, whether that is in January or next summer.

Therefore, former Gers chief Mark Allen pulled off a masterstroke with his deal to sign him in 2019.

He brought in a player capable of being outstanding for the club in the Premiership, with the potential to be a valuable asset in the future to sell on for profit-making it a win-win in both the footballing and financial aspects of the move.

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