Sam Lammers: Rangers sign Dutch striker from Atalanta
- Published
Sam Lammers was on loan to relegated Sampdoria for the second half of last season
Rangers have signed Sam Lammers on a four-year contract after agreeing an undisclosed fee with Atalanta for the Dutch striker.
The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at Empoli and Sampdoria in Serie A, scoring twice in a combined 34 appearances.
"Sam will give us great technical and tactical quality, being able to play in a variety of attacking positions as a number 10 or nine," Rangers manager Michael Beale told the club website.
"He was the first player I met with as part of the planning for the new season and during our lengthy discussions, it was clear that we share the same ideas on football and on his personal development moving forward. He has a strong alignment to the other players in our squad."
Lammers came through the PSV Eindhoven youth ranks and scored 12 times in 32 games before being sold to Atalanta in 2020.
However, he only made 19 appearances, scoring twice, before being sent on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt, for whom he also scored twice in 22 games.
He was an unused substitute when the Germans defeated Rangers in a penalty shoot-out in last year's Europa League final.
Lammers' most prolific spell came during a 2018-19 loan spell from PSV to Heerenveen, scoring 19 goals in 35 games.
He is Rangers' fourth summer recruit following deals for Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell, with Beale adding: "We are ahead of schedule in our plans."
Lammers said: "My first impressions have all been good so I am even more excited for the season to start now.
"I came in contact with the manager and he came over to see me in Italy, we had a good talk and he gave me a presentation about the club and about how I could fit in so ever since that moment I was excited for this project and to get here.
"I already knew some things about Rangers, I know the history, I know it is a massive club in Scotland and also worldwide, but it is always a good thing to have the personal side of it."
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