Rangers must avoid Carlos Pena repeat with Brian Ocampo | OneFootball

Rangers are heading into the final days of the transfer window and have completed two incomings at the time of writing.

They have signed James Sands on an 18-month loan from New York City FC and John Souttar on a pre-contract deal from Hearts to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad this month and in the summer.

However, the Gers do not appear to be finished for the January transfer window just yet, as they are still being linked with potential signings.

Pena 2.0

One player who has been linked with a switch to Ibrox is winger Brian Ocampo. The Nacional attacker is reportedly one of a number of players the club are eyeing up.

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Van Bronckhorst must avoid a deal for Ocampo, as he could run the risk of repeating the Carlos Pena disaster for the Gers. Whilst there is no indication that the 22-year-old has the same off-field issues as the Mexican, his on-pitch performances could be where the issue lies, and Rangers fans would be fuming if this rumour comes to fruition.

Football Transfers dubbed Pena as one of the biggest flops in the Light Blues’ history and cited his displays on the pitch as one of the reasons behind that classification. He scored four goals in 12 Premiership matches for the club, but that respectable – albeit short – record does not paint the full picture.

Pedro Caixinha hinted that the Mexican was struggling with the intensity of Scottish football, where he did not have as much time on the ball as in his homeland.

The ex-Gers boss said of Pena: “I think he’s at 60 per cent of his capabilities, the way I know him. But I think the first step for everyone to progress is knowing that you need to progress.

“It’s when you’re looking to add something and you say ‘Ok, I agree. Let’s work on it’. We are working. It’s a question of time. In terms of fitness, I can tell you, there is nothing he has to improve.

“Football is not all about fitness, football is about decisions. And we are preparing Carlos to make quick decisions when he is restricted in time and space.

“When he has time and space, he performs his football. He just needs to adapt when he doesn’t have time and space – and that’s nothing to do with fitness.”

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In the Primera Division in 2021, Ocampo has played 14 matches and registered zero goals and two assists as a winger, which means that he has just two goal contributions in his latest league campaign. He only has eight goals in 98 games overall for Nacional, which does not suggest that he would be a promising addition to the Gers’ squad.

Ocampo has never played outside of his native Uruguay, and adapting to a new division on a different continent could be difficult, particularly with his end product being inconsistent at best. Rangers would be bringing in a player with no experience of European football and a lack of quality in the final third, which could lead to him struggling in the Premiership – much like Pena did – and leaving fans frustrated.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst must avoid a deal for the 22-year-old and look elsewhere in the market for a new recruit on the right wing, as the Ibrox faithful would be fuming if they sign a player who is unable to perform at the club. The Dutchman and Ross Wilson still have time to identity alternatives, with nine days left in the transfer window.