Rangers could do with some creativity in midfield and the Eredivisie is hardly lacking in quality number 10s.
Vincent Janssen may have added more weight to the theory that the Eredivisie is not an accurate barometer of talent but, while the step up from the Dutch top flight to the Premier League often proves too steep, adapting to the Scottish game should be a little easier in theory.
But which free agents should Rangers look to add to Fernando Ricksen and the de Boer brothers in their Dutch Hall of Fame?
Nacer Barazite
When one door closes, another opens. Nacer Barazite almost breathed fresh life into this hackneyed cliché in 2010 when impressing on trial at Rangers after failing to make the grade at Arsenal.
However the 20-year-old, described by former Gers coach Ian Durrant as a ‘very good footballer’ after starring in a friendly defeat to Glentoran, as reported by the BBC, chose to return to his homeland instead with Vitesse Arnhem.
These days the rangy, technically gifted attacking midfielder is pulling the strings at Utrecht and laying on the chances of Premier League-linked Sebastian Haller. However, with his contract running out, could Rangers return to complete their unfinished business?
Mathias Johansson
A rampaging right-back cut from modern cloth, the Swedish international is one of the Eredivisie’s more underrated stars. Although fans of AZ Alkmaar would never be so blind as to play down Johansson’s influence on their right flank.
His end product may let him down at times but, unlike the uber-attacking James Tavernier or the conservative Lee Hodson, the well-rounded Johansson balances both attacking and defensive instincts.
Erik Falkenburg
The fact that January signing Emerson Hyndman is Rangers’ most prolific midfielder says everything you need to know about the lack of goal-scoring options at Pedro Caixinha’s disposal.
And although 28-year-old Falkenburg is hardly the most clinical finisher, his one-in-three ratio is a testament to his innate ability to find pockets of space inside the box and time his runs to perfection.
He scored 11 times in 34 Eredivisie games for Willem II last season, meaning only Hakim Ziyech, Davy Klaassen and Hull City’s Markus Henriksen (below) netted more from midfield.
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