Reports from The Netherlands, Scotland and even Sky Sports News confirmed that Rangers have had a £6m bid accepted for 24-year-old Brazilian striker Danilo.
The deal is believed to be worth £6m plus add ons. This is a huge outlay for Rangers but Michael Beale clearly believes he is the right fit for the club. So, we’ve seen the likes of Lammers, Sima and a bit of Dessers. What can Danilo offer that’s different? Let’s have a look.
Going Forward
I feel fans may believe when they see a 5’8 Brazilian forward pop up at Ibrox that they’ll be getting an incredible dribbler who is full of tricks. That isn’t Danilo. He’s not a poor dribbler by any means but don’t expect him to consistently be beating 3/4 players every time he gets the ball.
He’s intelligent with the ball at his feet. He knows when to take on a defender and when to look for a one-two. He doesn’t possess Fashion Sakala levels of pace but he does have great acceleration over the first 10 yards. This lets him pull away from defenders by knocking the ball passed them and getting through on goal.
His main strength is his finishing ability. He knows where the goal is. Despite being predominantly right footed, he’s very capable on his left. He’s not scared of having a go and has scored some screamers in his time in The Netherlands. He scored the goal below in what looks to be his last appearance for the club;
Rangers have lack goal scoring threat from outside the area and hopefully he’s one to change that.
He scored 10 goals in the Eredivisie for Feyenord last season. Him mostly coming off of the bench meant his appearance numbers were high at 34 but he still averaged a goal every 134 minutes with a 16% conversion rate. It’s not always easy to get involved as a substitute but he made it look easy.
He’s an instinctive finisher with both feet and is decent in the air. For someone at 5’8 he scored three headers last season, all of which were high quality finishes.
Creativity
As mentioned previously, he’s not a Neymar type Brazilian forward. He can beat players off his dribble and has excellent feet but taking it round multiple players isn’t his strength. Aside from finishing, he’s great at linking the play.
He often looks to get the ball into team mates feet to play short, sharp exchanges. This allows space to be created and for him to burst through on goal. His movement is excellent and is what allows him to get so many chances.
He’s the type of striker that is always on the move. He also varies up his movement, often making runs in-between the centre back and full back.
His movement not only helps create space for himself but also for his team mates. The constant movement pulls defenders out of position and leaves gaps for team mates to drive in to.
I believe his movement and link-up play will make him a nightmare for defences, both domestically and in Europe.
Off The Ball
I already spoke about his movement off the ball but this also translates to his pressing ability. He doesn’t only graft in an attacking sense, he works incredibly hard to win the ball back. He will be the front line of defence for Rangers.
For Feyenord he was often the player that triggered the press and I believe it will be the same at Ibrox. Michael Beale likes to put pressure on defenders and Danilo will thrive in doing that.
Rangers press has been impressive in preseason so far. Particularly from the midfield. It will be interesting to see how well the front line press this upcoming season with Danilo leading the line.
Physicality
There have been a few mentions from people around Feyenord and the Eredivisie suggesting Danilo may struggle with the physicality on playing in Scotland. Not every player needs to be strong to succeed however.
Being robust definitely is an advantage but if he isn’t, does that mean he’s destined to fail? Of course not.
He’s quick, particularly over the first 5/10 yards, agile and intelligent with his movement. Rangers didn’t need to sign another Dessers, Lammers or Sima. They’re all six foot plus, strong forwards, but the club needed a different option. Danilo offers exactly that.
He puts himself about, he will press hard and get involved as much as possible. Players smaller and weaker than him have come to Scotland and succeeded so I’m not worried about his frame.
His work rate and guile will set him apart and negate the need to be ‘physically strong’.
Conclusion
I, like many Rangers fan, am incredibly excited about this deal. Rangers are signing a goal scoring striker who isn’t even close to their prime yet. Plus, there’s just always something exciting about signing a South American isn’t there?
What are your thoughts on the Danilo deal? Does the £6m outlay worry you? Do you think he’ll be an instant success?
Read some excellent analysis from Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper on Danilo here.
Read more about another potential Rangers target here.