The murky tale of how Ibrox new boy Diallo was ‘trafficked’ from Africa

GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST is adamant that Amad Diallo won’t be fazed by his jaw-dropping price tag as he prepares to make his Rangers debut in Dingwall at lunchtime. The 19-year-old winger joined the Ibrox side on loan from Manchester United on Thursday one year after moving to Old Trafford from Atalanta for an initial £19million plus potentially £18m in add-ons. The Ivory Coast international had options from clubs across Europe but agreed to join a Rangers squad that will be without the injured Ianis Hagi until the summer. While Van Bronckhorst is acutely aware of the expectation that rests on the shoulders of players with such a high market value, he has no concerns that Diallo will be adversely affected by it. ‘The price tag is there but I don’t think we are looking at his price tag,’ said the Rangers manager. ‘I’m sure that is not what he thinks about. He is just a young player who wants to play games. You can feel it when you talk to him. ‘The only place he wants to be is on the pitch. We are bringing him to the club to be of value to the team, so of course he is going to play. But he has to perform like any other player in the squad. I’m full of confidence he will do that.’ With Diallo in such high demand, Rangers had to make a compelling case to the player and his representatives that a move to the Scottish Premiership would be the most beneficial to his career. But Van Bronckhorst was always

confident that the environment and style of play he has fostered in Glasgow would make the move to Ibrox one Diallo would find hard to turn down. ‘We talked with him and his agents and explained how we are as a club and what kind of environment he will come to,’ he said. ‘I was very happy that he chose us to play for.’ Despite a whirlwind week, Diallo declared himself good to play against Ross County if required. ‘I’m 100-per-cent ready,’ he said. ‘I have made the right decision and I want to get started.’ Explaining why he opted for Rangers, Diallo added: ‘I chose this club as I think it is ideal for my progression. I had lots of offers but I chose Rangers as I think it is very similar to the Premier League and the atmosphere is also similar. ‘It is good to come to a club which wins trophies every year like Rangers.’ Van Bronckhorst hasn’t ruled out the possibility of another player arriving before Monday. Manchester City midfielder

James McAtee remains a possibility, although Pep Guardiola hasn’t yet approved the teenager leaving on loan. Swansea City and Girona are also in the running for the 19-year-old. Van Bronckhorst also revealed he’s keen to keep Scott Arfield at the club beyond the summer. The midfielder made a scoring return against Livingston in midweek and has been linked with a move to the MLS. But Van Bronckhorst, who welcomes back Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo into the squad to face Ross County, is keen to see Arfield stay put. ‘Scott has been really important for the team,’ he said. The manager is also happy with talks with young striker Alex Lowry over a new deal. ‘He will be very important to the future of Rangers, so we want him to stay here for as long as possible,’ he said. Meanwhile, Rangers have been fined around £16,000 by UEFA after their fans let off flares during their Europa League encounter against Lyon in France in December.