Naderi arrived from Hansa Rostock for £4.7 million just before the transfer window closed.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl says new boy Ryan Naderi is a cross between German legend Fredi Bobic and £65 million Newcastle hit-man Nick Woltemade.
And the Ibrox gaffer believes if the 22-year-old can replicate those two in Glasgow – he’ll prove to be a terrific signing for the club.
Naderi arrived from Hansa Rostock for £4.7 million just before the transfer window closed. He could make his debut against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night and Rohl is excited by Naderi’s potential.
He says German coaches have compared him to Bobic and Woltemade – and insists he can give them something different in attack for the Premiership title run-in. Rohl said: “I’m very happy that we could sign Ryan very late. It was a long process with him but we convinced him. He showed straight away that he wanted to come, that was very clear. We tracked him for weeks and months – and I had good talks with him.
“He’s scored, he’s had some good assists, he’s powerful and he can run. He’s a good header of the ball, he’s good physicality and he’s a good pressing player. Those are things we need up front. We have some great examples of players who are going in the right direction and I’m convinced Ryan will help us.
“I spoke with some coaches from Germany – I got a lot of messages saying congratulations, you’ve made a good signing. Hopefully I don’t make him too big now but they compare him to a former player in Bobic and also Woltemade. If he can bring that level here, we’ll have a lot of fun with him.
“The good thing is that Ryan has played a lot of minutes in the last few weeks. That’s always the big question mark. Sometimes players need two or three weeks but he played 90 minutes at the weekend. In the game before, he scored so that’s a positive for us as we have the opportunity to put him in.”
Rangers pushed the boat out to get Naderi to Ibrox NOW, after initially agreeing a deal to sign him in the summer. When a loan move for Cameron Archer collapsed, they made it a priority to get the German to Scotland before the deadline. It’s the highest fee ever received by a German third division club but Rohl is adamant that Naderi will prove his worth because he’s got a burning desire to succeed.
He said: “He’s really smart. It’s important that we now give him an environment where – compared to October – a group here is growing together and they’re ready to take the next step. In October, players weren’t self-confident. They had problems with themselves. But now, more players are ready to help others. When I was talking to him, I felt straight away the fire.
“I know the club, Hansa Rostock, better than you. They have 25 to 30,000 crazy fans. That will help prepare him for our place. He’s a smart, young guy with high potential. We have three players up front now and it’s about bringing them together in a good shape. Sometimes we can play with one or two strikers but it gives me options which is great to see.”
Naderi was Rangers’ fourth January signing after Tochi Chukwuani, Tuur Rommens and Andreas Skov Olsen were also snapped up, taking their spending to around £12 million. They also offloaded the likes of Joe Rothwell, Clinton Nsiala, and Lyall Cameron, while Danilo and Rabbi Matondo could yet be moved on.
Rohl is delighted with their business in the window. Ahead of the clash with Killie on Wednesday, he said: “When I look back at our window, I’m very positive about it. Not just the ins but how we handled the outs. We’ve reduced the numbers but increased the quality in the squad. The good thing is, we’ve signed players, not just on loan.
“That shows that we’ve also got a view for the long-term and the summer. It’s very important that we make decisions together. It wasn’t just about me or my favourite player. It’s about how we can improve the group and so far I’m very happy with what we’ve done.
“It was crucial not just to bring players in but also to keep players here. It’s good for me that in nearly every position now, I’ve got a double-up situation. And it’s not clear in any position who’s the starter and who’s the hunter. That’s great for us, we need that challenge in the second part of the season to increase our performance. We’ve increased the quality of the squad and with this, we should move forward now.”
Danilo is set to sign a loan deal with NEC Nijmegen, with the Dutch side having an option to buy, while Matondo could leave with six months left on his Ibrox contract.