Scottish Premiership challengers Rangers paid £3.5m for Bologna defender Helander, who should replace Nottingham Forest loanee Worrall at Ibrox.
Gavin Rae has hailed Rangers’ £3.5 million capture of Sweden international Filip Helander, telling Football Fancast that the giant centre-back is a big upgrade on last season’s loan star Joe Worrall.
Perhaps more than any other signing made by the Glasgow giants this summer, Helander highlights Rangers’ ambition and their unwavering desire to bring an end to Celtic’s domination of the Scottish game.
The £3.5 million fee they paid to bring the former Bologna man to Ibrox made him their most expensive signing since Nikica Jelavic arrived from Austria almost a decade ago, as reported by The Herald.
As a result, Helander is expected to walk into Steven Gerrard’s starting XI without breaking sweat, most likely replacing the now-departed Joe Worrall and forming a partnership with Connor Goldson or George Edmundson.
Worrall impressed in fits and bursts during a loan spell at Ibrox from Nottingham Forest last season but Rae believes there is no comparison between an inconsistent 22-year-old and an established international with three years of Serie A experience.
“The arrival of Helander should be an improvement on Joe Worrall, a defender who was constantly crucified by fans for his performances during his loan spell at Ibrox last season,” said former Rangers midfielder Rae.
“This business from the club could be exactly what is needed to give them the ammunition to make a serious tilt towards to the top of Scottish football.”
Helander is not the most expensive defender to arrive in Glasgow this summer. That honour goes to Christopher Jullien, who swapped Toulouse for Celtic in a £7 million deal.
But with Helander joined at Ibrox by the likes of Joe Aribo, Jordan Jones and Sheyi Ojo, this is comfortably Rangers’ strongest side since they returned to the top flight three years ago.
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