Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst unphased by Celtic or losing Nathan Patterson
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has issued a defiant response to the idea that he might be rattled by transfer moves at Rangers or Celtic, he told De Telegraaf.
Gers saw Nathan Patterson move to Everton for a club-record fee while their Old-Firm rivals made the triple-signing from Japan of Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate.
But the Ibrox boss remains relaxed about the situation with his side sitting six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
In an interview with the Dutch paper (as quoted by The Daily Record) he admitted that he’s not too bothered by selling Patterson
He said: “I don’t care what other clubs do. This was a win-win situation. Patterson was a ‘back up player’, basically we don’t get any weaker.
“He was sold for a record amount and that fits the long-term vision of the club. They want to make some transfers every year, which will allow them to generate money. The club now receives a financial injection and the player goes to the Premier League.”
Reason to be confident
The Dutchman has enjoyed an excellent start to life in charge in Glasgow with only a creditable Europa League draw against Lyon preventing him from holding a 100% record.
Seven league wins in a row since his arrival puts his side in a position of control and the ex-Arsenal player is understandably confident.
He is thought to have prioritised maintaining his current squad during the transfer window, with only James Sands arriving on loan from New York City FC.
His view of the Patterson transfer might seem slightly dismissive of the departed man but it is hard to argue with the logic that the move was a win-win for player and club.
And while fans understandably get excited by new arrivals, the inevitable question of whether signings will settle into their new surroundings and perform well in a different league mean there is no guarantee they will be a success.
The current squad have responded to van Bronckhorst’s arrival excellently so if Steven Gerrard’s replacement can continue to hold onto them he knows he has players who can perform for him.
In other Rangers news, a ‘big hurdle’ in the way of this transfer has been shared.