So, let's get straight to the crunch, shall we? The central character in our narrative today is a certain Mr Nedim Bajrami, a lad of some 26 years, weighing in at a sprightly 10st 9lb (or 68kg if you're a fan of those newfangled European metrics), and standing precisely 5ft 10in (or 1.79m). Born in Macedonia, Bajrami chose to take on the tough job of being a central attacking midfielder, bless him. He's currently plying his craft over at Rangers, proudly donning the number 14 jersey, presumably because numbers 1 through 13 were already taken.
For those interested in the intricacies of finance, and the monetary circus that is modern football, the lad's current market value hovers around a robust £2.13m, according to that font of all transfers knowledge, Transfermarkt.
Our hero's journey began in pristine Switzerland, where he joined the Grasshoppers as a fresh-faced trainee in July 2009. Seven first team appearances punctuated his inaugural 2016 - 2017 season, a number which spectacularly jumped to 29 for the 2017 - 2018 season, neatly bundled with a complimentary hat-trick of goals. Things continued in a similar vein the next season, another 33 appearances and another three goals. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.
But the Swiss hills couldn't contain Bajrami. The lad soon sought out pastures new, and found himself transferred to Italy's Empoli, a deal that squeezed out a meagre £368k from the transfer kitty. During his Empoli tenure, he made an impressive number of first team appearances, with five goals in the 2019-2020 season, and another five in the following season, even throwing in an extra one in the 2021-2022 season.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Bajrami took a short-term holiday to Sassuolo, Italy. This loan deal soon cemented into a more permanent arrangement worth around £4.45m. His time at Sassuolo saw more first team appearances and a nice sprinkling of goals.
In a rather bewildering turn of events, Bajrami traded the Italian Serie A for the Scottish Premiership, with a more modest sum of around £3m marking his transfer. In his current season, Bajrami has charmed the footballing gods to bestow upon him five first appearances.
Apart from club football, our Bajrami also has a plethora of international experience under his belt, having participated in an array of fancy named tournaments. Euro 2024, World Cup Qualifiers Europe 2024-2026, the League Cup, the Scottish Cup... the list seems endless. And at each of these events, dear old Nedim has asserted his presence, either as a starter, a substitute, or often a scorer. So, while we may not be seeing Bajrami in your local Celtic park anytime soon, the lad certainly does get around, doesn't he? I suppose there is something to be said for seeing the world.
