Gers snapped up the striker from Hansa Rostock just minutes before the January window slammed shut
Ryan Naderi celebrates after scoring to make it 6-0 for Rangers against Queen’s Park
Ryan Naderi’s agent has revealed that Andrew Cavenagh and Rangers 49ers Enterprises ownership group personally stepped in to help get the £4.7million deadline day deal over the line.
The Ibrox giants had initially been frustrated in their attempts to sign the German striker, with third tier side Hansa Rostock determined to keep hold of their star man.
However, they were ultimately tempted to accept Gers improved offer, with Naderi becoming the most expensive player ever purchased from 3. Liga.
The 22-year-old has made a decent start to life under Danny Rohl, scoring twice in his first four matches, both of which came in the 8-0 rout against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup earlier this month.
And the player’s representative Laurent Burkart has lifted the lid on the scramble to get the forward to Ibrox and the late-night phone calls that went back and forth between his camp and Rangers‘ US-based chiefs.
Speaking on The Transfer Market Podcast with Fabian Knottnerus, he said: “It was incredibly exciting for everyone involved right up to the end. We were on our way from England, after the medical check, to Glasgow relatively late in the evening, in the car with a Rangers staff member.
“There were still some details to be sorted out between the clubs, as well as final details regarding the player’s contract. It was truly a last-minute affair. Ryan then had to undergo a few more medical tests at the Rangers training ground with the staff there.
“We finished just moments before the deadline.
“Rangers had tried to sign other players on loan for that timeframe; Ryan was originally planned for the summer. The prices for these players kept rising.
Ryan Naderi of Rangers celebrates his second goal with his team mate Oliver Antman
“In the end, it was a business decision for Rangers to say: ‘Okay, we’re going back to Naderi and set ourselves a total budget with which we want to complete an immediate transfer’.
“There were several rounds of back-and-forth discussions with the owners, who are based in the USA. The process was so nerve-wracking and stressful because the direction wasn’t clear until Sunday night.”
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