Who is Clinton Nsiala and What Can His Signing Bring to Rangers? | OneFootball

Back in June, Rangers announced the signing of Clinton Nsiala. The young centre-back arrived on a free transfer from AC Milan, as his contract with the Rossoneri expired at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The 20-year-old is yet to make his debut at the professional level, so the fans should adjust their expectations accordingly. The ClubSport predictions, which are based on the team strength score, do not favour Rangers at the start of the campaign. This means that it may not be the right time to experiment with a young centre-back.

Nevertheless, Nsiala is believed to be a talented player with huge potential. Coach Philippe Clement, who has undertaken the tough task of rejuvenating the squad at Ibrox, will likely give the Frenchman his chances during the season. And a look at Clinton’s past may allow for a better forecast of his performances in 2024/25.

Clinton Nsiala: An ‘Old-Style’ Defender

It has been traditionally considered that the best defenders come from Italy. Clinton Nsiala, while not Italian, has spent three years at the AC Milan academy and is certain to have learned a few things.

The 20-year-old centre-back stands 6 feet tall and prefers to control the ball with left foot. Nsiala does not hesitate to use his muscles to his advantage and has a strong aerial presence, for which he was once dubbed an “old-style” defender in the Italian press.

Although he trained regularly with the Milan first team and was occasionally called up for Serie A and UEFA Champions League matches, manager Stafano Pioli never granted him his debut. Instead, the Frenchman got his playing time at the youth team, AC Milan Primavera, where he was an undisputed starter.

Clinton had a very solid 2023/24 campaign, making 42 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing two assists. He played a pivotal role in AC Milan U19’s run to the final in UEFA Youth League, with the results available on ClubSport, but the Rossoneri were sadly defeated 3-0 in the final by Olympiacos U19.

AC Milan did not intend on losing Nsiala and had offered him an extension. Clinton rejected the proposal as he wanted a club where his prospects of reaching the first team would be clearer. In the end, Rangers became this club, despite reported interest from sides like Stuttgart, Hamburg, Monza and Empoli.

Prospects for 2024/25 at Rangers

Upon signing for the Gers, Nsiala revealed that a big factor in choosing Ibrox as his next home was manager Philippe Clement and his trust in young players. However, the 20-year-old must understand that Rangers will be fighting for every title this term, and he needs to be at an incredible level if he is to receive any action.

Coach Clement has confirmed as much, talking about Clinton in a pre-season presser. “He has a lot of talent, but he needs the experience and he needs to learn a lot of things. I don’t expect him to be a starting player,” the manager said.

John Souttar and Connor Goldson formed the starting centre-back pair last term, and both players are vastly more experienced than Nsiala. Even if Connor Goldson ends up leaving this summer, as some rumours indicate, there are other competitors for the starting eleven like veteran Leon Balogun.

The only good news for the 20-year-old might be that Ben Davies is the only left-footed centre-back at the Light Blues, and Clement does not seem to trust the Englishman too much. If the Belgian technician truly believes in Nsiala’s talent, he might be favoured ahead of Davies when somebody requires replacement or if there is a need for a left-footed defender to facilitate ball control.

Clinton is not ready to be a starter yet, lacking experience and probably needing time to adapt to a new league. But even a rotational role at Rangers would mean a successful season for the 20-year-old. Raking up minutes by coming on as a sub or by starting against weaker opponents when the main men require rest should be enough to put Nsiala’s talents to the test.