Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen were both busy men during the recent summer transfer window.
The Gers duo made plenty of changes to the squad at Ibrox in an attempt to build a squad that can develop into one capable of competing for major trophies in the years to come.
Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, John Lundstram, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Connor Goldson were just a few of the many players who were moved on from Glasgow, either on free transfers or permanent deals, over the summer.
Those exits opened the door for Rangers to dip into the market to bolster their own squad, with the likes of Vaclav Cerny, Jefte, Robin Propper, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, and Mohammed Diomande, among others, coming in.
All of these moves came 12 months after former Light Blues head coach Michael Beale had made his own splash in the summer transfer window of 2023.
The English boss also had to move a number of players on in order to make room for his own signings and one sale Rangers hit gold with was Antonio Colak.
Antonio Colak's Rangers career
In the summer of 2022, Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked to improve his options at the top end of the pitch and signed the Croatian striker from Greek giants PAOK.
It was reported that the Light Blues had agreed an initial fee of £1.8m to sign the centre-forward, shortly after Rangers had lost in the Europa League final.
Colak hit the ground running at Ibrox and looked to be well on his way to becoming a hero in Glasgow, particularly after his return of three goals in four Champions League qualifiers to help the side progress to the group stages of the competition.
Livingston
0
0
Kilmarnock
1
0
St Johnstone
1
0
Hibernian
0
1
Ross County
2
0
Celtic
0
0
Dundee
2
0
Hearts
2
0
St Mirren
2
1
Motherwell
0
0
As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old star enjoyed a terrific start to this Scottish Premiership career with a return of ten goals and two assists in his first ten appearances.
This means that the Croatian marksman started the season with 13 goals in 14 matches in the Premiership and Champions League qualifiers combined.
However, he suffered a calf injury in November and Beale had replaced van Bronckhorst by the time he was back fit in January, and things were never the same for him after that.
After scoring 14 goals in all competitions under the Dutchman in the first half of the season, Colak ended the 2022/23 campaign with just 18 goals in 39 appearances, having managed four strikes in 15 outings under Beale.
The English manager could not get the best out of the forward, as van Bronckhorst did, and that eventually led to his sale in the summer of 2023.
Rangers hit gold with Antonio Colak
Rangers opted to cash in on the Croatia international after just one season at Ibrox, following his struggles under Beale, and Italian side Parma swooped in to sign him.
It was reported that the Serie B outfit paid a fee of £2.5m to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, which meant that the Gers made a profit of around £700k on the striker – having paid £1.8m for him the previous summer.
Not only did Rangers strike gold financially with that sale, the Scottish giants also hit the jackpot because Colak’s form since moving on from the club has continued to decline.
Appearances
22
Goals
3
Assists
0
Big chances created
0
Duel success rate
26%
As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old striker endured a difficult year in the second division in Italy, with three goal contributions in 22 matches.
Colak, who did not feature in any other competitions for Parma, was also a liability out of possession for his side, as opposition defenders won 74% of their physical duels with him throughout the season.
This shows that Rangers hit gold by selling him at the perfect time because his form in front of goal since leaving Ibrox proves that they were right to cash in on him, particularly when you consider the players who outscored him last season.
Rangers players who outscored Colak last season
The Scottish giants needed to bolster their attacking options after Colak was sold last summer and Beale moved to sign Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima, Danilo, and Cyriel Dessers in the forward areas.
By the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Sima (11) and Dessers (16) both hit double figures for goals in the Premiership and Danilo managed four in just 12 appearances.
The Brazilian striker missed a staggering 41 matches through injury in his first season with Rangers and still outscored Colak at league level.
Another player who outscored the Croatian marksman in the 2023/24 campaign was Scott Wright, who produced four goals and zero assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.
The Scottish winger joined League One side Birmingham City for a reported fee of £300k, at the age of 27, this summer, which further emphasises how much of a blinder Rangers played by raking in £2.5m for Colak.
Overall, the Light Blues can look back on their deal to sell the striker to Parma with pleasure, as they made a profit on a player who had underperformed under the manager – Beale – at the time.
The players who were brought in to replace him – Dessers, Sima, and Danilo – also all outperformed him in front of goal during the 2023/24 campaign.
Colak, who joined Parma for £2.5m 12 months ago, moved on yet again after just one year at a club, with a switch to fellow Serie B side Spezia this summer, and it remains to be seen how well this latest move will go for him.
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