What Djeidi Gassama said to his agent when Rangers made Sheffield Wednesday move | OneFootball

The 21-year-old former Wednesday winger has spoken to his new club, Rangers, following his move from Hillsborough

Djeidi Gassama has spoken to his new club, Rangers, for the first time following his reported £2.2 million move from Sheffield Wednesday.

The 21-year-old became new manager Russell Martin's seventh signing, and his sixth from sides in England, having already brought Thelo Aasgaard, Emmanuel Fernandez and Joe Rothwell permanently, and Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons on loan.

Russel Martin’s appointment at Ibrox has made Rangers an attractive place to go and play, with plenty of new arrivals hoping that he can have the side playing like Southampton were under him in the Championship.

Additionally, the lure of consistent European football has to be a big factor in bringing players to Scotland from clubs in the Championship.

Because of this, Gassama, who made his professional debut alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, feels he will fit in well at his new club, and expressed such a desire to join as soon as he found out the club were interested in him.

“We go directly” - Djeidi Gassama’s demands to his agent following Rangers interest

Speaking in his first interview with Rangers, Gassama relayed that the Scottish giants would be the best place to continue his development after two seasons at Sheffield Wednesday.

“I am very happy to be here, I am very excited to start with my new club, [as] it’s a big club with a lot of history,” he said.

“For a long time, I have known about Rangers, and when they came in this summer, I said to my agent, ‘We go directly.’”

At Rangers, Gassama has the chance to play in the Champions League, with Russel Martin’s Gers set to take on Panathinaikos in a two-legged qualifying match towards the end of the month.

Comparing that to the situation currently at Sheffield Wednesday, it’s night and day.

Gassama would have likely been one of the players set to move on from Hillsborough this summer, even if off-field complications had worked out, given his clear potential to improve to the levels set out for him as a teenager, but to be able to make the switch to a European level side is a big bonus.

“This is a big club, and I need that for my next level,” Gassama reiterated.

“I think the club can help me progress. I have seen some games, and some European games, and I really like it.”

Rangers' step could see Djedi Gassama progress to his next level

Despite what many perceive the Scottish Premiership to be quality-wise, the lure of playing in European competitions is one of the main pulls for a club like Rangers, as it allows their players to see how they cope on the big stage against Europe’s elite.

Rangers, especially, have recently been able to make deep runs in the Europa League, making the final in 2021/22 and the quarter-final last season.

Gassama’s roots, having progressed through the academy at PSG to making his Ligue 1 debut from the bench in the 2021/22 campaign, has him destined for big things. At just 21-years-old, he still has the potential to realise that.

Playing against supposedly weaker domestic competition could see the wideman explode as a both a creative and goalscoring force, whilst facing tests in continental tournaments will see whether he can cut it at the moment among the best the game has to offer.

All in all, it’s a solid move for a player like Gassama, and you can understand his lack of haste when the option to move to Ibrox surfaced.