With Brazilian forward Danilo on the verge of becoming Rangers’ seventh summer signing, we caught up with Soccernews.nl's Feyenoord writer Eimert Pruis for an in-depth insight into the 24-year-old striker.
Here is everything he had to say.
How did he perform last season?
He did well. He wasn’t the big goalscorer in the first team but he was more of a team player and he did very well in the beginning. We bought Santiago Gimenez and he had some initial problems adapting so Danilo was starting immediately and scored some important goals. We saw him as a good player, he never complains when he’s on the bench and he’s a great team player. We love to see those players at Feyenoord. Later on, he dropped to the bench when Gimenez performed and scored goal after goal. When he entered the pitch, he always contributed. He’s a really versatile striker and we really need him for the first two Champions League games because Gimenez is suspended. Arne Slot wasn’t really eager to let him go.
Can he play in a number of positions in the forward line?
He’s a central target man but he isn’t like Gimenez who’s a man in the box. His positioning isn’t really that great but he strikes the ball well. He scored some great goals last season and you can expect some assists from him. He’s a team player, he knows where his teammates are so he has a good eye. He can play as a striker but also as Slot used him which was as a No.10 or as an extra striker. You already have Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers so maybe Rangers is looking for someone to link up with Dessers.
Does he have the physicality to thrive in Scotland?
This is my doubt. The Scottish Premiership is a lot more physical than the Dutch Eredivisie. You’ve got a lot of space over here to play and his style of play is suited here really well. I see him more of a La Liga player but it will be a real tough challenge for him. He did grow in the last year physically. He looks a lot stronger now but he needs to use it right. You can be as big as a wall but it’s no use if you don’t know how to use your body so he has to learn that. Maybe he’ll learn it the hard way over there.
READ MORE: Meet Danilo: Rangers transfer target an 'amazing instinctive finisher'
Do you think he has the mentality to play for a club like Rangers?
Yeah, I don’t think that will be a problem. As a substitute, he always worked hard. He’s been educated at Ajax and then he had a season on loan at Twente where he did well before Feyenoord picked him up on a free. He’s used to being expected to win every week and to deal with pressure. At Feyenoord, we know we’ve suffered a lot but that’s because every year we have the biggest expectation that doesn’t really meet the quality of the team. He knows how to deal with that and has done so at Ajax for years so I don’t think it will be a problem.
Do you think £6m is a fair price?
When Rangers offer seven million Euros for a player you got on a free and is a substitute, you can’t say no. Feyenoord, at the moment, has a lot of money so they are in a position to say no but they need a replacement. We need a striker and Danilo would take up that position with Gimenez being suspended. Slot says for every player that goes he needs a better replacement. For that amount of money, I don’t think you’ll buy a better striker than Danilo.
You can watch the full interview with Eimert on our YouTube Members page by clicking here.
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