New signing Amad Diallo has 20 million reasons to feel under pressure as he prepares to step into the Glasgow goldfish bowl.
But maximising the profits of his own potential should be the only motivation for the Gers recruit, according to boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The 19-year-old Manchester United starlet arrives in Glasgow shouldering levels of expectation as weighty as the bundles of cash it cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to prise him away from Atalanta 12 months back.
The total bill could eventually reach north of £37million if the talented Ivorian international manages to trigger the various sell-on clauses attached to the eye-watering deal which sealed his move to Old Trafford.
So far, having registered just nine appearances and one goal for the Red Devils, the United money men so far haven’t had to worry about opening the safe to withdraw another wad of notes.
But Van Bronckhorst insists you can’t put a price on experience and he hopes Diallo’s six-month loan at Ibrox paves the way to further riches for all concerned.
“The price tag is there but I don’t think we are looking at his price tag,” said the Ibrox gaffer. “I’m sure that is not what he thinks about.
“He is still 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’s part of the squad so has to perform like any other player - but I’m full of confidence he will do that.
“How do we unlock his potential? Just by playing. He's had a great start to his career. He's had a really good move to Manchester when he was still a really young player.
"He hasn't played much but is a player who needs to play to develop.
"We can all see his qualities and what he can bring us. So I'm excited to work with him for the rest of the season.”
Gers must have made some sales pitch to persuade United to part with such a valuable asset, especially after facing stiff competition for Diallo’s signature from major Premier League and continental clubs.
But Van Bronckhorst reckons it was an easy sell after Gers laid out on the table the possibility that the dazzling young winger could play a major role as Gers for glory at home and abroad in the second half of the season.
“We're very excited,” said the Dutchman. “We started the talks with his agent on Monday and then with Amad on Tuesday.
“I'm very happy he wanted to come to us for the remainder of the season.
“We were looking to add a player in the front because we of course lost Ianis Hagi for the season.
“I’m really happy that we can bring in a player of this quality and I’m sure he will give us a lot of strength in the coming months.
“We talked with him and his agents and really just explained how we are as a club and what kind of environment he will come to as a player.
“That was, for us, easy to do because it is just talking about who we are and for me as a coach to explain the way we played and the way we want to use him in games.
“That was all part of it. You just have to talk and explain who you are and how you play and you hope that your message will come across and that the positive feeling you have is mutual.
"In this case, it was so I was very happy that he chose us to play for.
“They were all positive talks with him and there is the stature of the club which also excited him.
“That’s why I think it was positive talking and I’m glad we could welcome him to this football club.”
Diallo, who could make his debut against Ross County when the champions head north for today’s lunchtime kick-off in Dingwall, eases the brewing concerns swirling round Ibrox following Hagi’s season-ending injury.
Van Bronckhorst’s team have lacked a ruthless edge since returning from the winter break and with the Romanian out, the jitters were evident in the Ibrox stands as Gers struggled to cut through Livingston on Wednesday.
The return of Joe Aribo from the African Cup of Nations and Ryan Kent from suspension should, though, sharpen up the Light Blues in the final third.
On top of those welcome additions to the passenger list for today’s trip up the A9, there were positives as Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack burst back with a bang on Wednesday.
Arfield climbed off the bench to provide the killer touch which knifed down David Martindale’s men, while Jack will hope he has finally put a year of persistent fitness set-backs behind him after managing a late cameo.
“It’s very important [to have them back],” added Van Bronckhorst. “They are experienced, they had the moments in their careers – big moments, very important moments to win prizes – and they are important.
“I am happy that they are back. We are almost fully fit as a squad. You have to have that and have players available because of the run we are on and all the games to be played are coming really fast. It is good to have everyone on board.
“Ryan came in and had a very good impact on the team.
“He was good after the game so I am happy for him that he got his first minutes under his belt.”
