Since joining the Rangers in the summer, Jefte has impressed more and more, and according to Kris Boyd, at times his crossing has been “unbelievable.”
On September 23, the Sky Sports analyst told Roger Hannah on the Scottish Sun’s Go Ballistic program that while he is happy with Deadline Day signing Nedim Bajrami’s performance thus far, he is more impressed with Brazilian left-back Jefte, who was forced into a regular starting role this season due to Ridvan Yilmaz’s injury.
Boyd believes that things are improving after a nice 3-0 victory against Dundee in the League Cup in the first game back at Ibrox. Despite this, he is not sold on centre-back signing Robin Propper, who still looks unconvincing.
When asked if Bajrami (9m) was a bonus point, Boyd said, “100%.” You want new gamers to get started right away, and I believe Bajrami has done just that.
“I must also mention, Roger, that Jefte has something on that left side; he hits some incredible balls in.”
“I’m still not entirely convinced about Proper, but I think there’s enough there, they’re creating opportunities, it’s a building block for Rangers going forward.”
The Rangers’ debut from Nedim Bajrami thrilled Kris Boyd as well.
Following a heartbreaking defeat to Celtic that plunged the Light Blues into disarray heading into the international break, some encouraging outcomes have made all the difference.
With a squad that seems to have only been slightly changed in the summer, Philippe Clement’s only option is to take each game as it comes and try to gather some momentum despite the still intimidating gap between them and their Old Firm opponents.
He got the start he needed in that process with two victories and two clean sheets, as well as the move back to Ibrox. More importantly, some of the new recruits are looking well.
Despite only being 20 years old, Jefte already has a significant advantage over Yilmaz—who is consistently disqualified—if he can maintain his physical condition.
Borna Barisic’s delivery from the left side, which complemented James Tavernier’s from the right, was the primary asset lost with his departure. If Jefte can begin to produce that as well, the young player might be an important long-term addition.
Bajrami’s dull 45-minute debut at Tannadice a week ago, which raised so many expectations before the international break, was a major letdown. However, the Albanian might have simply needed more time to warm up, as he performed considerably better against the opposing side of Dundee this past weekend.
However, Propper is still a worry as the 30-year-old appears unsure in a backline that has been without a dominant player for at least a year due to Connor Goldson’s decline in form. On September 15, Boyd even implied that Propper was “soft” live on Sky Sports.
The Dutchman was expected to take over as the team’s senior leader in the centre of defence, but he hasn’t shown much of an improvement over Ben Davies—let alone Goldson—since the Englishman’s loan departure to Birmingham City. He will need to improve as he gains more experience, or he’ll add his name to the list of transfers gone wrong in recent seasons.
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