Can you tell us about Amad Diallo and how exciting it is to bring a player of his potential to Ibrox?
Very excited. I think we started the talks with him and his agent on Monday. I’m very happy that he wanted to come to us for the remainder of the season. We were looking to add a player upfront because we lost Ianis for the season so I’m really happy that we can bring in a player with his qualities and I’m sure he will give us a lot of strength in the coming months.
Was your style of play an appeal to Amad coming to Rangers do you think?
That was an important part of the club that he chose to play for, for the rest of this season. When you have a shadow list of potential players you want to bring in, I think the quality he possesses is a quality I am using in my team. He will know what kind of system we will play but I think they were all positive talks with him and the stature of the club also excited him. That’s why the talks were positive and I’m glad that we could welcome him to this football club.
Can you give us an update on injuries and how is Ryan Jack after coming on in midweek?
Ryan came in and had a really good impact on the team. He was good after the game as well so I’m really happy for him that he got his first minutes under his belt. Injury wise we can only welcome back Ryan Kent from suspension, Joe Aribo is back in the squad because he had a good rest this week, he’s ready for tomorrow and Amad will be in the squad as well.
With his hefty price tag when he moved to Manchester United, do you expect Amad to be a first-team starter during the duration of his stay at Ibrox?
The price tag is there but I don’t think we are looking at his price tag. I think, for him as well, it’s not a thing that he’s thinking about. He’s still a young player who wants to play games. You can feel it when you talk with him, the only place he wants to be is on the pitch. We are bringing him to this club to be a value for the team so he’s going to play but he’s part of the squad so he has to perform as well as any other player. I’m full of confidence that he will get that.
Several European clubs were interested in Amad Diallo, what makes Rangers such an attractive club for young talent?
We just talked with him and his agent and really just explained how we are as a club. What kind of environment he will come into as a player. That, for us, was easy to do because it’s talking about who we are and me, as a coach, explaining to him the way we play and the way we want to use him in games so it was all positive. You just have to talk and explain who you are and how you play and hope that your message will come across and the positive feelings you have is mutual. In this case, it was so I was really happy that he chose us to play for.
Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack made an impact in midweek, how important is it to have those senior players back with the busy run of fixtures ahead?
It’s very important because they’re experienced. They’ve had big moments in their careers, important moments to win prizes and to be important so I’m happy that they’re back. We’re almost fully fit again as a squad. We have to have that because the run we have now, with all the games to be played, are coming really fast so it’s good to have everyone on board.
Did you have to speak to Ralf Rangnick to say that this was the environment for Amad?
Not me personally, I think Ross (Wilson) did. For me, the negotiations were more about convincing his agent and Amad himself to come to Rangers.
Are you still looking to add before the transfer window closes?
We can still do some business but I don’t know. Anything can happen, especially in the last days of the transfer window, sometimes it gets a little bit crazy. I hope, for us, it stays calm but you never know. We will see in a couple of days how our squad will be for the remainder of the season but I’m confident we will leave this window better than we started it.
There are reports you are looking to bring in James McAtee from Manchester City, is this true?
We’ve spoken with many players we want to add. So far, I don’t have any news. The only news is that Amad is joining us so we’re still open and have to be ready for the last few days but I won’t confirm or talk about other names than players who are here and players we have signed.
Is Scott Arfield a priority for you to keep hold of?
Scott has been really important for the team, not just this season but the seasons before this season as well. He’s an experienced player and he’s definitely a player I want to have longer at Rangers. Hopefully, we can welcome him next season as well.
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