'They didn’t want me to' - Rangers target breaks silence on transfer links as Gers striker tipped for future EPL move

Philippe Clement had been linked with an ambitious move for the Netherlands international earlier this week, with reports in Europe claiming the Light Blues had contacted the 31-year-old with a view to bringing him to Glasgow on a free transfer earlier in the season.

Posting on ‘X’, respected Italian journalist Nicolò Schira claimed that Klaassen had ‘turned down’ bids from both Rangers and Royal Antwerp in order to return to former club Ajax, and the Dutch star has now clarified the reasons behind his move to the Amsterdam outfit in an interview with the club’s official media.

“They (Inter Milan) didn’t want to me to leave,” Klaassen explained, as he lifted the lid on discussions with Inter boss Simone Inzaghe. “I went to the coach and said ‘coach, I don’t know. I want to go to Ajax, I want to go home.’ I told him I wanted to leave because I cannot give my all anymore and that is unfair for you too. Coach, I just want to go home."

One player who did opt to make the move to Rangers this summer though, striker Hamza Igamane, has been tipped to reach a ‘very high level’ by his former AS FAR manager Sven Vanderbroeck.

The 21-year-old impressed in the weekend win against Dundee United, where he replaced Cyriel Dessers for the final 25 minutes of the 1-0 victory at Tannadice. Now head coach of Belgian side Zulte Waregem, Igamane’s former boss told the Daily Record that he believes the Moroccan’s switch to Ibrox in the summer is the ideal move for him, as he tipped him to ‘make another step’.

“England would have been too fast and too early,” said Vanderbroeck. “This is a good medium step where he can progress and then make another step to an English team of a higher level. So I think his pathway has been well chosen by this step. If he would play another year or maybe two I think his price would be two or three times higher than what Rangers have paid now. The only doubt I have is the language because, back then, he was only speaking Arabic so I think he has to pick up English classes.

“Philippe (Clement) didn’t speak to me before he signed Igamane but I think Rangers have enough people on the payroll to make these decisions. His skills and his potential is more than enough to be convinced to take him in and I think he’s already proving that by getting minutes in the first team at his age and this early in the season.”