Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale snapped up 18-year-old talent Alex Kpapke on a short-term deal and he is the first new arrival at the club since the Englishman took over in November.

It was revealed by The Athletic last month that the youngster had played a bounce game for the Ibrox side following his release from Chelsea and that the club had an interest in the player.

Although starting out as a defensive midfielder, he now mainly operates as a left-back and can also feature as a centre-back if required and this versatile nature could be an added bonus for Beale.

His main strength lies in his “power in transition” according to Jordan Campbell and his attributes could lead to the Light Blues saving millions in the future.

Calvin Bassey 2.0

Kpakpe could be another Bassey for Rangers, with the 18-year-old extremely similar in terms of playing style to the now Ajax star.

Bassey also signed for the club having developed at a Premier League side following his move from Leicester City, and although he was slightly ahead in the pecking order than Kpakpe is right now, the 23-year-old remained patient and got his chance under Steven Gerrard as Borna Barisic’s deputy.

He featured 15 times in his first season, claiming a Premiership winners medal before making a major breakthrough in his second campaign, forming a solid centre-back partnership with Connor Goldson as the club won the Scottish Cup while making it to the Europa League final.

This in turn led to him being sold to Ajax for a club record £23m fee and there is a void to be filled since his departure.

Kpakpe will join up with the B team and could play a part in the 13 matches that the club has left in the Lowland league this season before Beale makes a judgement on whether he will be offered a long-term contract in the summer.

He had injury issues at Chelsea which limited him to just nine appearances in the U18 Premier League since 2020 and hopefully, he can remain injury free during his spell in Glasgow.

If so, and he manages to make an impression, he could force his way into Beale’s first team plans and end up developing into a player similar to Bassey.