Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is just over a month away from his first transfer window at Ibrox with the Glasgow giants.
The Dutchman replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm over the last fortnight and could look to put his own stamp on the club by bringing in a couple of additions to bolster his squad in the winter market.
Dream signing
One player who could become a target is Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman. He was linked with a switch to Ibrox from Eredivisie side Heerenveen over the summer, but a move ultimately fell through.
Scottish journalist Stuart Hodge has now refused to rule out the Gers going back in for him. When asked about Veerman as a potential target for Van Bronckhorst, he said: “That one, yeah, potentially. But I think more so, that’s a market that van Bronckhorst will know well, that’s a market that’s affordable for Scottish clubs.”
The £3.1k-per-week gem could be a dream signing for Van Bronckhorst, who may know the midfielder due to his prominence in the Netherlands. Veerman has been a regular for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, a league in which the 46-year-old Gers coach has played and managed, so he could be well-known to the ex-Barcelona defender.
Former Rangers forward Michael Mols previously described the midfield dynamo as “perfect” in possession, although he did have some concerns over Veerman's ability to compete in duels.
Mols told the Daily Record: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.
“But in Scottish football, there is a lot of emphasis on duels and fighting for the ball. I’m just not sure that would suit his style. He would maybe find it a little bit difficult to adapt.”
His potential weakness in individual duels may not be as much of an issue under Van Bronckhorst as it would have been under Gerrard. The latter deployed a 4-3-3 system which could have seen Veerman exposed physically in midfield, whereas the Dutchman's 4-2-3-1 could see him slot in as a number 10, thus allowing the two holding players to shoulder the bulk of the defensive duties in the middle of the park.
Veerman has shown his quality on the ball in the Netherlands in recent years. In 67 Eredivisie games, he has managed 13 goals and 21 assists, whilst averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.33. Along with Mols' comments on his ability in possession, this shows that the 23-year-old could arrive at Ibrox and become an attacking force to be reckoned with in the Premiership.
Therefore, he could be a dream first signing for Van Bronckhorst, as he is a fellow Dutchman who could have the quality to make a big impact, and Rangers chief Ross Wilson must duly reignite his interest in the midfielder in the January transfer window.
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