Philippe Clement shares Rangers transfer profit plan as Nordsjaelland model the key to survival.

In Africa, Nordsjaelland has the right to dream. However, Philippe Clement believes Rangers should start adopting the Danish model and start establishing talent production as a solid reality in Glasgow.

Just now, the Ibrox manager stormed the Scandinavian star factory in an attempt to grab Mohamed Diomande. The highly regarded Ivory Coast Under-23 is not cheap; when the first loan is converted to a permanent one this summer, the transfer is expected to cost the Gers £4.3 million. The new manager of the 22-year-old midfield prodigy is confident that the money was properly spent, and the large Belgian thinks the deal will turn a profit in the years to come.

However, Clement has confessed Gers’ chances of keeping pace with their rivals at home and abroad will go bust if they continue relying on others to rear their first-team troops. Nordsjaelland have had no trouble on that front thanks to a tie-up with the famed Right to Dream academy in Ghana.

The agreement allows the Danes to recruit some of the best young African talent before moving them to Europe, where they are regularly moved on for huge returns. They’ve made millions thanks to RTD graduates like Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana, now starring in England with West Ham and Southampton.

The deal that has seen Diomande join Gers could yet be dwarfed this month if his former teammate Ibrahim Osman’s £18million switch to Davie Moyes’ Hammers goes through. And Clement reckons it’s an example the Light Blues must follow.

“Of course,” he said. “That’s one of the parts I have been talking about also with the club. “From the first day I stepped into the building they knew about that and it was one of the reasons, also, that they finally chose me. I have always been busy with the development of young players.

“Look at Genk where we had Leandro Trossard who was a young player who came through. Sander Berge was another young player who went to Sheffield United. Jhon Lucumi we got as a young player at 18 from Colombia. Joakim Maehle is at Atalanta now and he was also a really young player.

“There was a lot at Brugge as well. In Monaco we had Aurelien Tchouameni and Axel Disasi and other young players coming through and developing.

Thus, it’s crucial as a club cannot thrive if its members are just consumers. The club cannot survive if there is no profit. Therefore, we must develop a model that makes money from transfers.

“It’s essential because without that model, a club cannot thrive in Europe where things are changing. Players must be recruited, and once they are established, they must be sold for a profit.Either you accomplish it, or you require an investor who contributes outrageous sums of money each year. We require a transfer model in order to expand since we are not a club like that.

“If you don’t grow you go backwards because there are other teams that are growing in Europe. And in the league also. So you need this model, it’s really clear.”

Clement has a clear vision for how Diomande is going to fit into his team. The new signing is still waiting for his visa application to be approved by the home office, meaning today’s lunchtime Premiership clash with St Mirren in Paisley will come too soon. But the Ibrox gaffer can’t wait to get his new midfield gem involved. “Diomande is someone with a lot of versatility,” said the Light Blues boss.

“He can play in defensive midfield, he can play offensive, No.10, six and eight. He’s even played left full-back or left winger, so it’s someone with good technical qualities and a lot of running capacity. That’s the interesting thing, he has discipline in his game to be able to play defensively, but he’s also got a creative side.

“It’s unclear when he will be able to play. As I mentioned earlier, I want to assess his physical capabilities and character first. He must adjust to the group dynamic and style of play as he is a signing who will be here for several years rather than just a month. It’s all about how quickly he picks things up. It’s not like he walks in and immediately earns a spot on the team; no, you have to work for that. You have to demonstrate that on the training field and in the games.”

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