Danilho Doekhi ‘remained fairly calm’ as Rangers bid to sign him in January
Rangers failed in their attempts to sign Vitesse captain Danilho Doekhi in January, as per Gelderlander, and the player has now spoken about the Glasgow side’s efforts.
The 23-year-old defender is out of contract in the summer and he could be a handy addition to the Rangers squad next season if he doesn’t sign an extension with Vitesse.
The Eredivisie club, however, opted to keep hold of their skipper, hoping to achieve a high finish in the Dutch top division this season and letting him leave for free in the summer.
“I have remained fairly calm about it,” Doekhi said in an interview with Voetbalzone, “I know what I have in mind. I did not just want to leave Vitesse in the winter.
“I do not see the winter as the ideal time to make a transfer. Of course, if a good opportunity comes along you can not let it go.
“But we play European, are still in the cup tournament and are doing well in the league. I knew I wanted to finish the season here.”
Patience is a virtue
Rangers may have been unable to bring him to the club in January but they are still in a strong position for the summer.
There might be interest from elsewhere but they already have a connection with the player having attempted to sign him previously and that might put them ahead of the curve.
At any point between now and the end of his contract, the Light Blues can approach the 23-year-old and offer him a deal that will begin when his current contract expires at Vitesse.
It’s something that they should strive to sort out as soon as possible given his experience captaining a side in the Eredivisie at just 23 years of age.
That kind of leadership is hard to find these days and it is a trait that van Bronckhorst will like very much as he looks at his profile.
They can even get him for free anytime now, rather than spending unnecessary money in January when they didn’t need an urgent solution at the back.
In other Rangers news, a loanee from Ibrox is making headlines in Northern Ireland, sending his side top of the NIFL Premiership.