“Unbelievable”: After a “Massive Boost,” a new Rangers defense astounded a Sky Sports Pundit

After joining the Rangers in the summer, Jefte has impressed ever since. Kris Boyd calls his crossing at times “unbelievable.”

On September 23, the Sky Sports commentator told Roger Hannah on the Scottish Sun’s Go Ballistic program that he was happy with Deadline Day acquisition Nedim Bajrami’s performance so far, but he was even more impressed with Brazilian left-back Jefte, who was forced into a regular starting role this season due to Ridvan Yilmaz’s injury.

Boyd believes that things are improving following a pleasing 3-0 victory against Dundee in the League Cup in the first game back at Ibrox. Despite this, he is not persuaded on center-back acquisition Robin Propper, who still seems unconvincing.

When asked whether Bajrami (9m) was a bonus point, Boyd said, “100%.” You want new gamers to get started right away, and I believe Bajrami has done just that.

“I must also mention, Roger, that Jefte has something on that left side; he hits some incredible balls in.”

“I’m still not entirely convinced about Proper, but I think there’s enough there, they’re creating opportunities, it’s a building block for Rangers going forward.”

The Rangers’ debut from Nedim Bajrami thrilled Kris Boyd as well.

Following a heartbreaking defeat to Celtic that plunged the Light Blues into disarray heading into the international break, some encouraging outcomes have made all the difference.

With a team that seems to have only been slightly changed in the summer, Philippe Clement’s only option is to take each game as it comes and try to gather some momentum despite the still intimidating gap between them and their Old Firm opponents.

He got the start he needed in that process with two victories and two clean sheets, as well as the move back to Ibrox. More importantly, some of the new recruits are looking well.

Even though Jefte is just 20 years old, he already has a significant advantage over Yilmaz—who is consistently disqualified—if he can maintain his physical condition.

Borna Barisic’s delivery from the left side, which complemented James Tavernier’s from the right, was the primary asset lost with his departure. If Jefte can begin to do that as well, the young player might be an important long-term acquisition.

Bajrami’s anonymous 45-minute debut at Tannadice a week ago was a major letdown after all the excitement leading up to the international break, but the Albanian could have just needed more time to warm up as he performed far better against the other side of Dundee over the weekend.

However, Propper is still a worry at this point since the 30-year-old seems unsure in a backline that has been without a dominant player for at least a year due to Connor Goldson’s decline in form. On September 15, Boyd even implied that Propper was “soft” live on Sky Sports.

The Dutchman was expected to take over as the team’s senior leader in the middle of defense, but he hasn’t shown much of an improvement over Ben Davies—let alone Goldson—since the Englishman’s loan departure to Birmingham City. He will need to improve as he gains more experience, or he’ll add his name to the list of transfers gone wrong in recent seasons.

Tom English issues a judgment on Neil Lennon as Rangers chairman after Dave King’s verbal attack

According to Tom English, Dave King’s chances of becoming Rangers chairman are comparable to Neil Lennon’s, since the latter continues to distance himself from the board.

The BBC writer replied via X on 20 September after the South African-based business mogul followed up his bid to replace John Bennett on a two-year tenure with a harsh critique of the board and asked for an EGM to vote on the way ahead [Rangers Review, 15 September].

Bennett quit on health concerns on September 14, and English feels King’s scathing criticism of people at the club puts his prospects of a comeback on par with former Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

He stated, “Dave King continues to run his ‘Return of the King’ campaign through the pages of the Daily Record.” Good copy, but it further alienates him from the board.

“It’s all noise and mischief-making. He has the same likelihood of becoming Rangers chairman as Neil Lennon.

John Bennett’s departure at Rangers sparks power struggle

Clearly, King’s desire to become Rangers chairman increases his prospects of returning to Ibrox ahead of Lennon’s.

To make it a reality, he will need backing from somewhere. However, he is already likely to be opposed by Douglas Park [Daily Record, 16 September] and the rest of the board. His criticism is not creating bridges.

Instead, it seems that he is hoping to gain it from fan shareholders at an EGM, while also seeking to make the present leadership appear so unpopular that they will be replaced.

That may be a lofty idea, but given where the Gers have gone in the seasons since Steven Gerrard last won the Scottish Premiership, many fans already believe so.

Dave King continues to run his ‘Return of the King’ campaign via the pages of the Daily Record. Good copy, but it’s further alienating himself from the board. It’s all just noise and mischief-making. He has as much chance of becoming Rangers chairman as Neil Lennon 👀

— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) September 20, 2024

Philippe Clement and the players might undoubtedly benefit from some peace and stability at the club, but with John Gilligan as interim chairman and no CEO in place, there won’t be much predictability for the time being.

After Jim Gillespie’s departure from advanced negotiations with Bennett, the former director is prioritizing the search for a new CEO (Daily Mail, September 10).

But, in the meanwhile, King seems to be following a scorched earth approach in order to reclaim control, and whether or not it succeeds, the club would likely profit from a swift solution.

Rangers formally terminate a high-profile employee; a formal paperwork is sent at Companies House

John Bennett’s resignation as chairman has been formally recorded by Rangers on Companies House.

According to an official document that surfaced on September 18, Bennett’s tenure at Ibrox officially ended on Friday, September 13.

Following Bennett’s forced resignation due to health issues, the search for his successor is already well under way.

Rangers announce John Bennett’s formal resignation.

Rangers are now going through a succession of changes at the top, with John Gilligan taking over as temporary CEO in place of Bennett after the latter was forced to resign.

Gilligan [Chris Jack, September 17] has pulled minor stakeholder George Letham into an advisory position at Ibrox, with former chairman Dave King splitting fans with views on a comeback.

According to some, King’s possible return would lead to “psycho-drama,” which is the last thing the team needs as they struggle to remain viable.

John Bennett is now the former Rangers chairman

Steven Gerrard’s name has also become more prominent due to King’s prominence [talkSPORT, September 17]. However, the championship-winning manager has denied speculations of a comeback as pressure to replace Philippe Clement may be mounting.

The chaos and instability at the top will only exacerbate the problems for the Gers, who have already lost some ground in the Scottish Premiership.

First Scottish Premiership sacking of the year revealed as losses and red card accumulation increase

After four straight losses, the manager leaves.

After just ten months in charge, St Johnstone fired Craig Levein due to a lackluster start to the season.

The Perth team is wallowing in tenth place in the William Hill Premiership after dropping four of their first five league games. Their lone triumph came on matchday two at Rugby Park, where they defeated 10-man Kilmarnock 3-0.

After a lackluster 2-0 loss to Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday, Saints have now lost four straight games across all competitions. This is the third time this season that a player has been sent off for the team.

Less than two hours had passed since Levein’s Tuesday afternoon media conference, during which he provided an update on his future plans but gave no hint as to what might come next.

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During the summer, longtime owner Geoff Brown sold the club to American businessman Adam Webb, who appointed Francis Smith as his new CEO.

Levein, who turns 60 next month, was chosen in November of last year when St Johnstone was three points from the bottom of the league. At the time, Levein was appointed by the previous owners of the club. With a final-day victory at Motherwell, the former Hearts and Scotland manager ensured that Saints finished above Ross County on goal differential and avoided a relegation play-off. This kept the team in the top flight.

But after a dismal start to the current season, which included a 3-2 loss to League One team Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup group stages, the new administration has determined that a change is necessary.

“The board of directors can announce that St Johnstone Football Club has parted ways with manager Craig Levein today,” the club said in a statement.

“Craig deserves special recognition from the football team for all of his hard work while he was at McDiarmid Park. In due course, there will be another update.”

Rangers want a fresh start. not a throwback; why should Ibrox Club exercise caution regarding Dave King’s return? Keith Jackson

John Bennett has renounced his chairman of the Ibrox club post.

First of all, let me wish John Bennett a complete and quick recovery now that he has emerged from the turbulent furnace of anarchy at Rangers.

Fundamentally, Bennett is a really good man who was so eager to do the right thing for his football team that he was ready to donate £24 million of his own personal fortune into its coffers. The most unedying travesty of it all, the departing chairman finally became vilified and even demonised by enraged swathes of his fellow supporters.

Though the last few months of Bennett’s time in charge were fraught and absolutely frustrating, the truth is he behaved with entirely the best of intentions. He was left carrying the can and bearing personal responsibility for the carnage being created all around since he was both blindsided and betrayed at pivotal times over the last 12 months. He made mistakes too, of course, but Bennett’s main flaw was most likely his excessive trust and way of running his business, thinking that those around him wanted Rangers to succeed just as passionately as he did.

He urged Michael Beale and James Bisgrove to perform in their designated roles without realising that this B team was causing more damage than benefits. And it was only after Bisgrove had jumped ship to Saudi Arabia that the gullible Bennett was compelled to look under the bonnet to find – to his great horror – the whole degree of the damage.

Bennett was locked into a losing fight when he first realised that Rangers would be locked out of Ibrox for the first few months of the campaign; the stress levels started to soar to intolerable heights from then. Suddenly Bennett was faced with spending a small fortune to tidy up the terrible mess Bisgrove had left sitting in his office drawer. He had worked hard to eat into the enormous financial waste which he calculated was costing the club around £10 million a year.

James Bisgrove, John Bennett and Michael Beale

He also had to present it to a support still simmering in resentment over the surrender of a possible domestic treble over the last weeks of the previous season. The terrible news had to front it.

Behind the scenes, Bennett was actually guiding the club in a more positive direction after years of internal infighting, boardroom bloodletting and ultimate mismanagement. They blamed Bennett for just about everything they could see in front of their noses. Along with a more mild, moderate and measured government, he aimed to give Rangers a uniting presence at their helm.

But Bennett was surrounded and undermined by so many malign actors that his work became impossible and, as a result, he was assigned a basket case. Now Bennett leaves behind a bin fire. A very sad situation exists since he has been swallowed up and spat back out once again by a club he loves fervuously. But the idea of extinguishing this fire with two more years of Dave King and his gun powder brand of leadership all feels, well, somewhat too Trumpian for comfort.

The South African based businessman has entered the ring for a second term in the top office; Rangers would be better to thank him for his offer and swiftly reject the idea as a turnback in the wrong direction.

King may say he has a strategy to make Rangers great again, but if it means going back to the times he would start a fight in an empty Blue Room, the club would be better off avoiding a regression.

That he himself stood down following a sour fall-off with his successor, Douglas Park, points to the residual bad blood which caused Bennett so many problems in his attempts to bring various boardroom factions together.

Now that the peacemaker has been forced to throw in the towel, if King and Park are put back on a collision course the collateral damage could be spectacular and, let’s face it, over the last 13 years Rangers have had quite enough of these ego driven sideshows and circuses.

Ten years ago, King might have been the right man in the right place when he chose to fight with Mike Ashley, allowing Paul Murray and John Gilligan to ultimately take over the club alongside him.

However, it also began a personal conflict with Ashley that cost the club many millions of pounds and was only fully resolved once Bennett took office and pushed common sense to rule.

Though in a caretaker role, it is ironic that Gilligan is now assuming the chairmanship since he too grew weary of the ceaseless rounds of bickering and back-stabbing during King’s turbulent rule before completely withdrawing. He is not likely to have any wish to be pulled back into the same bad tempered film once more.

After almost ten years of fan ownership, the truth is that Rangers most need a new script and a fresh start rather than a throwback to the same old snarling, suspicious faces. On the other side of the Atlantic and maybe even farther afield, there are some very wealthy and reputable potential investors out there who would view the club as ideal for a complete takeover.

Not very long ago, during his shot in the chairman’s seat. Reacting with anger and hostility to an offer of a £60 million cash injection from American entrepreneur Kyle Fox, Douglas Park headed one of them off at the pass.

Park would not entertain any idea that Rangers might be better off in the hands of others, should their investment not be equally deeply emotional.

Though unpleasant as some would find it, for a club desperately in need of some clear headed thinking, fresh progressive ideas, new money, and a complete leadership overhaul, that now seems to be the best way forward. Should that be Bennett’s last stand’s legacy, then who knows? Perhaps one day he will look back and find it was all worth it.

Confirmed: Clement sends Hagi updates following agents allegedly rejecting Rangers’ exit

According to Philippe Clement’s most recent remarks to the media, Ianis Hagi’s situation at Rangers remains the same.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (13 September), ahead of the trip to Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday, the Gers boss insisted nothing had changed with the Romanian attacker.

Having been left in the B Team amid claims of a contract clause triggering financial obligations, he has stayed constant in his opinion that Hagi will not play again for the Light Blues and can leave the club [Daily Record, 13 August].

Dismissing the possibility of a contract termination, the 25-year-old’s agents told Digi Sport in Romania on September 12 that he would be categorically not leaving Ibrox and would be continuing to fight for a return to the pitch.

But Clement remarked (16m 30s): “I said these things already the last times; the circumstances did not change. It is not only my choice in that regard. Thus, we will find out what the future holds there.

At Ibrox following Alaves’ return, Rangers’ stasis persists.

Hagi looks like he will have to keep performing with the reserves while waiting for either side to show signs of breaking.

If the 41-cap international is adamant about staying, having already turned down one exit to Rapid Bucharest before the transfer window closed [Sky Sports, 26 August], and Clement cannot or will not use him then it is difficult to see a way out.

Although it would have been far from perfect, a contract termination would have given the 25-year-old and his agents the freedom to search anywhere; they have decided against this as well.

Hagi might not be the solution to all the problems at Ibrox, but if it weren’t for the contract clause he would have surely been tested at least by Clement when the likes of Tom Lawrence, Scott Wright and Ross McCausland have all had varied appearances so far this term.

The manager had clearly advised it is he who has no interest in reintegrating Hagi into the first team previously [Daily Mail, 31 August], but even he sounds tired of answering questions on the matter if the decision isn’t totally under his control.

It is not surprising that they keep returning when an elite player who made it to the knockout levels of Euro 2024 a matter of months ago is not even given any thought.

If he had been kicked out of a squad like Manchester City’s, it would be one thing; but, Clement needs all the help he can get and has probably seen his options get worse since last term [Michael Stewart, 2 September].

Although the arrival of Nedim Bajrami helps to make Hagi’s absence a moot point, even if the Albanian instantly sets the world ablaze it won’t lessen an astonishing stand-off at Ibrox.

“Not Impressed” – Tam McManus slams Rangers summer signing and advises who should replace him

Although Rangers summer acquisition Robin Propper “not been impressed,” Tam McManus thinks seasoned Leon Balgyn is still the best centre-back the team has.

Originally brought to Ibrox for a £2.7million fee from FC Twente [Transfermarkt], Propper has so far mostly kept 36-year-old Balgyn out of the side.

Former Hibernian and Dundee forward McManus claimed that the seasoned Nigeria international is a better fit for the team and that he still finds the Dutchman unconvincing.

Speaking on the PLZ Football Show [11 September, 24:42], he said: “They’ve bought Propper, and I’ve not been impressed so far with him. Balgyn has not played.

“Balogun is Rangers’ best center-half, still, at doing the fundamentals, defending.”

Rangers incite criticism on Robin Propper.

After failing last season, Rangers are trying to strengthen their defence, but it’s clear how much they are missing when they compete against Celtic.

When Brendan Rodgers’s side was better in every department, the idea of simply focussing on oneself as a club and neglecting their bitter city rivals is challenging. Even more so when they just met in the first Old Firm of the season.

For Philippe Clement, it will be a bitter pill to chew, but hardly a system shock. The club has spent money, albeit not to the degree some of the supporters would have like to see; Propper arrived with a seven-figure price tag but failed to excite with his early performances.

Rangers defender Robin Propper (Credit: Imago)

Propper is a player bought for the here and now; he is thirty and has over 350 senior games under his belt spanning over 12 years alongside several players with future potential and a possible lucrative resale value.

While Balgyn – definitely far from one for the future – is left to play a bit-part role, the fee paid indicates Clement is bound to persist with him a little longer.

Gers striker injury claim made by Fergie won’t be taken well

For the past few seasons, Rangers have struggled greatly with injuries; Philippe Clement is resolved to correct things this season.

With only Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo out for any extended period of time, the squad looks better in terms of health; but, the absence of Danilo has begged some questions.

Though the Brazilian striker’s need to go under the knife is another that he could have done little about, the manager still has a difficult task in hand with players who are injury prone unlikely to have a sudden physiological metamorphosis.

Danilo absence is not a Rangers conspiracy.

Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Barry Ferguson questions whether the 25-year-old’s prognosis is as good as that which Rangers are reporting.

“His absence from the Europa League team for the games indicates that he will be absent for more than one month.

Given that it was a severe knee injury, “I’m not sure exactly what the damage is; it could be a reoccurrence of the knee damage he suffered.

“That is disappointing since, when he has come in, a lot of the supporters are rather enthusiastic since his Rangers career has been somewhat disrupted by some stop starts.

“Before he suffered that damage, he looked rather good. Indeed, it is a blow since they are rather light on top.

Clement has duty to balance Rangers striker problem.

Philippe Clement could not have done much more to progressively bring Danilo back into active competition.

The Gers manager was eager to avoid having the £6 million signing miss time on the sidelines.

Danilo not being in the Europa League squad makes sense given the need for a clean-up.

He can concentrate on recovery and building fitness between games rather than playing twice a week.

Hamza Igamane looked sharp at Parkhead and would shortly be expected to start games in rotation with Cyriel Dessers.

Dessers should not be playing every game.

Although Danilo suffered a setback, his match fitness was at the level he was ready to start more games from. He is not back at square one.

His comeback should not be protracted.

If Clement keeps playing Dessers instead of Danilo and starts him in midweek too for the Europa League, there will be problems.

Although many of the present issues have nothing to do with him, this one is absolutely under his control.

Rangers have four already in line free agent replacements for Tavernier

Rangers had to restart in the summer with Philippe Clement looking to give a team that had begun to look tired fresh vitality and energy.

Using Nils Koppen’s player trading model fit for the present and the future, the manager brought the squad’s average age down.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo is a classic example of the kind of player Rangers will be signing moving forward, thus a new transfer report is not logical.

Rangers give Cyrus Christie some thought should James Tavernier depart.

HITC claims that Clement has looked at a free transfer for Cyrus Christie should James Tavernier leave Ibrox amid current links away from the club.

Given his minutes for Rapid Vienna on loan from Feyenoord last season, Kasanwirjo seems like first choice for pressure on the skipper.

Apart from replacing Tavernier, the 22-year-old former Netherlands Under-21 international has the capacity to replace Dujon Sterling.

Adam Devine and Leon King come later down the road.

Four guys qualified to play right back even if James Tavernier is sold.

Tavernier might under pressure from Rangers.

Speaking earlier in the summer, Clement made hints suggesting the captain would not be an ever-present during this campaign:

He can control that, thus he fits that role rather nicely. In the past, I have observed many people breaking in that same scenario.

“I believe he had one drawback last season—that of playing all the games—which falls under my responsibility.

“We want to change for this season since, in moments he seemed less fresh than he ought to be.

Those who must occupy that role must also be fit. Tav is quite hungry for a season that he can produce, and I believe he can be rather strong.

“Pity that he has been out for two weeks in the preparation and missed a bit; but, I am quite sure he will have a great season.

With his goals and assists, he has been rather crucial.

The Gers boss’s current issue is that Sterling has to play in midfield due to shortages in midfield.

That should not be a problem now Nicolas Raskin is fit.

Tavernier’s position should be under danger following a horror show against Celtic, thus it would not be surprising to see him jump ship.

If he does, Philippe Clement can keep his wallet in his pocket.

‘Absolutely…’ Jim White is shocked by what Martin O’Neill said about the Rangers following their defeat by the Celtics

After the Rangers’ loss to Celtic, Jim White was shocked to hear Martin O’Neill say that this Rangers team is the worst he has ever seen.

After a 3-0 loss to the Gers at Parkhead earlier in the week, Graeme Souness had claimed that there wasn’t much of a difference between the two Old Firm rivals. The talkSPORT host was taken aback when the former Hoops manager addressed this claim live on air on September 5.

After dismissing the idea as “deluding himself” and speculating that it might take 15 years for the balance to be restored, O’Neill was harsh in his criticism of Philippe Clement’s position.

“He’s deluding himself, absolutely, because there is a gap, there is a chasm,” stated O’Neill. In actuality, there was no close game at all. Celtic was significantly superior.

“The Rangers’ downfall… It truly has been awful. It has been awful. Furthermore, I don’t think it helps Celtic in any way because Rangers must be strong in order for Celtic to be extremely strong and attempt to compete in European football.

And Rangers are not, they are extremely, extremely poor. I believe that the team is as bad of a Rangers team as I have ever seen during my time playing football.

In response, a startled White said, “In your time in football? Is this the least talented Rangers team?

“Yes, it is extremely poor,” O’Neill acknowledged. “They’re really, really poor, to be honest.”

Rangers under Philippe Clement suffer a crushing defeat at Celtic

The most damning aspect of White’s evaluation may have been the casual way in which the 72-year-old O’Neill dismissed this Light Blues side as the worst he had ever encountered.

It was the kind of broad assertion that someone might make when they are upset and attempting to win an argument, but it seems to have gotten to the point where he could hardly be bothered to directly refute Souness’ argument because it is so simple to make.

The timing of a convincing Old Firm loss could not be worse from an international break point of view, as it is simple to overreact when there is no club football to divert attention from the previous match, but the atmosphere has completely soured.

After a disappointing transfer window, a lacklustre preseason, and a difficult start to the season, fans were hardly feeling optimistic.

However, any optimism that may have been raised by a few last-minute transfers before the deadline or a convincing 6-0 victory over Ross County a week prior was completely dashed by yet another disappointing derby loss.

On paper, it might not come as a huge surprise that the team failed to qualify for the Champions League, lost at Parkhead, and drew away to Hearts despite having a squad that was too financially unstable to completely restructure.

However, the way things have gone in recent weeks has contributed to the outcomes, so any optimism will need to be restored by an instant improvement in form and a string of victories following the internationals.

Russell Martin criticises the Ibrox giants and Rangers for Sam Edozie’s failed transfer

Russell Martin, the manager of Southampton, placed the blame on Rangers when winger Sam Edozie’s Deadline Day loan move to Ibrox collapsed.

Martin stated in an interview with the Southern Daily Echo on September 1st that Edozie’s last-minute attempt to join Glasgow failed because the 21-year-old had too little time to find a new team.

Despite the winger’s “keen” desire to join, Edozie’s loan north of the border was not approved by Southampton, according to reports made by The Sun on September 1. As a result, the move never materialised [The Athletic, August 31].

Martin expressed his frustration, saying, “It wasn’t on our end, but it fell through so late.”

I believe Sam is being treated a little unfairly. Although a little disheartening, it is what it is. In the transfer window, every club has its priorities and its prerogatives.

It was too late to find another chance to go play football, so I felt terrible for Sam.

Rangers overcome the impasse with Sam Edozie on Deadline Day.

Even though Edozie’s loan move to Ibrox was abruptly cancelled, Philippe Clement and his Gers team still had a hectic day on August 30 with four players coming in and going out of Auchenhowie.

The departures of Todd Cantwell and Scott Wright to teams in the EFL Championship and League One, respectively, gave Clement much-needed squad room, which he has filled with two intriguing additions.

Sam Edozie would have been a direct replacement for outgoing winger Scott Wright at Rangers

After joining on loan from Feyenoord, Neraysho Kasanwirjo will give James Tavernier much-needed competition at right-back this season; the Gers captain is staying put despite rumours of his departure.

In addition, the £3.3 million acquisition of Nedim Bajrami from Sassuolo represents a notable improvement over players such as Cantwell and Wright; however, Edozie might have been considered a final addition.

Bajrami can play both the wide areas and the number 10 position, and since Cantwell was eliminated from first-team consideration, Clement won’t view Edozie’s inability to sign as a direct replacement for Wright as a major setback.

I know an alternative Rangers manager who was heartbroken when they didn’t make it in 2023. Here’s what happened next

Craig Moore knows Kevin Muscat well and thinks that the Ibrox team should have gone with Philippe Clement instead.

Kevin Muscat was “devastated” to lose the Rangers job to Philippe Clement after interviewing twice. However, he will never be able to go back to Ibrox.

That’s what someone who knows him well says, and they think the Ibrox board might have made a mistake by bringing back their old player. After Michael Beale was fired in October of last year, Rangers were at a crossroads, and at first, it was their former midfielder Muscat who took the lead. In the end, though, Clement got the job. He got off to a good start and made Celtic nervous right away.

When Muscat took over as manager of Yokohama F. Marinos from Angele Postecoglou, he went in a different direction. He took over at Shanghai Port in China after winning the J-League in 2022 and coming in second in 2023. After 24 games, they are currently in first place in the Chinese Super League.

But Clement is under fire after a rough start to the season that was made worse by a terrible loss to Celtic. Maybe Muscat would have been a better choice. That’s what his old teammate and friend Craig Moore thinks.

He told Go Radio, “At the time, he had two interviews and came in second. It broke his heart to lose to Philippe Clement.” He thought it was a great chance for him, and it would have been a great job. But Kevin is now doing a great job in China, so that ship has set sail for good.

Moore told reporters when Muscat was first linked that he wasn’t neutral when it came to his old Ibrox friend, who he played with in 2002–03. At the time, he said, “It’s tough for me because I know Kevin Muscat very well.” He’s a great friend of mine. I like his work and have for a while now. He did a great job in Japan. What people over here don’t get is that he got Ange’s squad, and they think it’s easy.

It’s about the same as the budgets of the other teams in the J League, the ninth largest. He won the league and something like the Charity Shield. They have lost to Vissel Kobe and are now in second place in the table.

“Over the summer, he lost six or seven players and had to find new ones within the team.” He’s punching really hard. His teams play fun football, score goals, and make plays. I think he would be a great choice for the Rangers.

David Edgar discusses the new Ianis Hagi contract at Rangers following the transfer saga

After the drama surrounding his transfer at Ibrox this summer, David Edgar thinks Ianis Hagi and Rangers can come to an agreement over shorter terms.

A clause in the 25-year-old’s current contract could increase his weekly pay by £6,000 after he plays a certain number of games for the Gers [Daily Record].

After returning from his season-long loan with Deportivo Alaves, the Romanian has been training with the Gers’ B team, but he has stated that he wants to stay at Ibrox.

The founder of Heart and Hand responded via X [30 August] when asked if Hagi and Rangers could come to a new agreement: “I think so, yes.”

Ianis Hagi will stay at Rangers following the drama at Ibrox?

Hagi may find it challenging to regain the fans’ trust given the stressful transfer saga surrounding him and his possible departure from the Scottish team.

Nevertheless, after turning down offers to return to Romania, the player is obviously desperate to stay with the Scottish team this summer.

According to the Daily Record, it was thought that the player’s contract might be terminated because he was no longer needed by Philippe Clement, but it appears that he will remain with the team.

Players who are unwilling to give their all for the team have already been let go by Clement; one such player is Todd Cantwell, who has confirmed his long-awaited transfer to Blackburn Rovers.

I think so yes.

— Heart & Hand Podcast (@ibroxrocks) August 30, 2024

All parties can move on from this summer’s transfer window and return a respectable attacking option to the team for the 2024–2025 season if the player accepts a new contract.

Hagi has had many memorable moments while wearing the Light Blue shirt, and hopefully he can continue to have more over the next few seasons, despite having a subpar loan in La Liga, where he only made eight starts and recorded two assists.

Rangers in talks for player Mike Ashley attempted to get at Newcastle, and Clement personally drove it

Rangers are in talks to sign a defender who Mike Ashley previously tried to sign for Newcastle United, according to a new report.

Rangers face high expectations to compete with Celtic this season, putting pressure on Philippe Clement and the team. The Gers struggled late last season, and to avoid a repeat, Clement and the Rangers board have been active in the transfer market, ensuring they have a squad capable of competing on all fronts.

Rangers Transfer News

Rangers can safely say they’ve been busy as the 11 p.m. deadline approaches, having added eight players to their roster thus far. However, given Celtic’s strong start to the new season, Rangers may still be looking for one or two new players to give them the best chance of success.

Rangers are reportedly considering signing Pyramids FC winger Ibrahim Adel, who recently impressed with Egypt’s national team at the Olympic Games. The Scottish club is said to be very interested in the winger and would be willing to spend up to £5 million to sign him, but they will face competition from Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

Rangers are reportedly interested in both Adel and Troyes defender Jackson Porozo, who was on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa last season. According to the report, the Gers made contact with the French side about a possible deal, but it was not ongoing because the demands were “not suitable” for Rangers, and the defender instead signed with Leganes.

Rangers are still looking for a new defender, and it appears that their search has led them to a player who was once wanted by former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who also owned a rather unpopular 8.92% stake in Ibrox from 2014 to 2017.

Rangers are in talks to sign Philippe Clement.

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing Stanley N’Soki from Hoffenheim, according to French outlet L’Equipe. According to the report, the defender could leave the German side during the current transfer window, with a loan move being considered.

N’Soki is under contract with the Bundesliga club until the summer of 2027, and Clement, who previously managed the defender at Brugge, would like to bring the central defender to Ibrox during the remaining transfer window.

According to the report, talks have begun and are continuing in recent hours as the Rangers seek to strengthen their defensive line. Rangers fans may not be aware of N’Soki, but he has previously been on the radar of Newcastle United. In 2018, Ashley made a £10 million bid for N’Soki, but the deal did not go through. However, a few years later, he may now be heading for that move to the UK.

As Ibrox fringe players prepared to leave on loan, Rangers received transfer “enquiries” for two academy graduates

The Ibrox pair could relocate south of the border in search of more game time because they are far down the pecking order.

After being told to look elsewhere for playing time, Rangers midfielder Alex Lowry has surfaced as a potential loan target for Carlisle United of the EFL League Two.

The 21-year-old attacker, who was on loan at Hearts for the first half of the previous campaign, is not in manager Philippe Clement’s starting lineup for Govan this year. Furthermore, according to Football Insider, the relegated Cumbrian team has enquired with the Ibrox club regarding a possible loan arrangement.

In recent years, Lowry has been a consistent starter for the Gers B team. Earlier this month, they defeated Clyde 3-2 in the Scottish Challenge Cup, and Lowry scored two goals in that victory.Injuries ended his brief stint at Tynecastle last season, and despite making an excellent impression in preseason, he has failed to make an impact to earn a starting position.

The Scotland youth international has made nine appearances for his country, but he hasn’t participated in a competitive match since 2022. His contract is set to expire this summer. And after seeing his team lose two of their opening three league games, Carlisle manager Paul Simpson is keen to add some new players before the transfer deadline.

Leon King, another academy graduate, may follow Lowry south of the border. Salford City, an English fourth division team, is rumoured to be interested in loaning out the defender.With the arrival of Dutchman Robin Propper from FC Twente and AC Milan’s Clinton Nsiala, the 20-year-old centre back has fallen down the ranks after making just six first-team appearances in the previous campaign.

Former Manchester United player Gary Neville is the main shareholder of Salford; other owners include Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, brother Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, and David Beckham. King could contribute significantly to their recent declaration of having “ambitious plans for the future,” as moving south is seen as a step in the right direction for his career.

King, who has a contract through 2026, is still highly regarded by the Rangers coaching staff and has six Champions League appearances under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, one of which came during a period when the team was ravaged by defensive injury woes. He debuted as a senior in 2020 and has played for Scotland at all levels, from the Under-16s to the Under-21s.

Rangers consider a second offer for a 6-foot-2 unit while their anxious manager acknowledges that a sale may still occur

When the transfer window closes, managers aren’t the only ones pulling out their hair. This includes Philippe Clement of Rangers.

This week, Almeria’s coach, Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, also known as Rubi to you and me, has been discussing the difficulties of the last furlong of the transfer window.

Everyone in football gets nervous around this time of year because there is a lot of uncertainty, agents are playing games, positions need to be filled, and decisions need to be made.

There are others who share Rangers manager Clement’s expectation that the Ibrox side will be “busy.”

Almeria defender Kaiky Fernandes has been linked to Rangers; one bid has already been rejected, and another may be on the way.

Ben Davies’ permanent departure has left Clement adamant that a centre-back will be brought in to take his place.

Rubi has been discussing the state of play following Almeria’s victory over Tenerife over the weekend, and it seems that there is just as much uncertainty in Liga Segunda as there is in the Scottish Premiership.

Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images

Manager of Almeria frets over Rangers connections

As the transfer window draws to a close, Philippe Clement has maintained his composure.

Although Rangers’ lack of Champions League qualification has somewhat hindered the team, Clement has been candid about the need for new players.

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing four players, with Kaiky, an Almeria defender, being one of their top targets.

Almeria coach Rubi is clearly uneasy about the situation; he has called the window’s end “the worst moments for a coach.”

“It’s what we’ve always known,” Rubi said to the Almeria Daily. Everyone flees as the deadline draws near.

These are the worst times in a club’s history for a coach. The daily mentality of a football player has replaced the notion that losing a player is inevitable.

We are aware that eight days remain. By the end of the market, we will have an excellent team.

Although Rangers’ pursuit of Kaiky garnered media attention in both Scotland and Spain, it’s unclear how the three sides feel about Almeria’s rejection of the bid.

Given that multiple players are being linked to high-profile moves, Rubi has hinted at the uncertainty in his squad and said the rumours are “affecting” his team.

A handful of football players, according to Rubi, are training as hard as they can and giving it their all. However, in the end, they have to deal with representatives—this or not another—either way. It has an impact in the end.

“Hopefully, not many football players will be in that condition tomorrow. Although we are a healthy group, they eventually become perplexed because it is a challenging moment.

Rangers make a bid for Kaiky while Almeria is open to selling defenders.

Almeria has already suffered greatly from the departure of one key player during this transfer window.

To give Rubi and his team a scare, Leeds United has revealed the signing of versatile forward Largie Ramazani on a £10 million contract.

Rubi has been drawing attention to Ramazani’s departure and asserting that the second-tier Spanish team is searching for a replacement, all while Rangers are still questioning Almeria regarding Kaiky.

“We plan to acquire a winger,” Rubi declared after Ramazani’s sale. “The club works with the coaching staff and has a list of players who might be of interest to us.

“But it also happens that players who weren’t in the original plans now show up.”

Lastly, the Almeria manager has also discussed the difficulties the team has at centre back.

In 2022, Kaiky Fernandes signed a £6 million contract to join Almeria from Santos, but the 6′ 2″ player hasn’t always had his way in Spain.

Kaiky, who spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Liga Segunda Alcabete, started the 1-0 victory over Tenerife for Almeria despite the Rangers rumours.

Rubi has made it apparent that if a defender leaves, then another bid will be made, even though he hasn’t addressed those specific bids.

These are most definitely not the remarks of a team and manager who have abandoned all hopes of a deal while the crisis at the centre of Almeria’s defence is still very much alive.

The Almeria defence, which gave up two goals to Racing Santander on the first day of the season, has drawn some harsh criticism for its performance.

“The concept is that a signing will occur in the event of a defence sale,” stated Rubi. It’s true that because we weren’t feeling well the other day, it could raise some questions.

“I trust the calibre of the players we have, but it’s the first game, so we have to make some adjustments and give it some time.”

This summer, the Rangers traded Connor Goldson to Aris Limassol, and FC Twente’s Robin Pröpper took his place.

Ben Davies on the left would be replaced by Brazilian defender Kaiky, with Leon Balogun and John Souttar the team’s options for right-sided centre backs.

Si Ferry is “gobsmacked” by the £34k-per-week Rangers player information he has learnt

A fresh Rabbi Matondo revelation from Rangers, made before the transfer deadline, has left Si Ferry “gobsmacked.”

During the summer transfer window, the Light Blues attacker has been linked to a move away from Ibrox; according to reports, Blackburn Rovers are the latest team interested in his services [Daily Mail, 22 August].

Even though it doesn’t seem like the winger will be leaving at this time, Open Goal host Si Ferry was taken aback when Derek Ferguson disclosed that the player makes an estimated £34,000 per week in Glasgow.

“What is it, we know Matondo is on £34,000 and he’s a bit part player,” Ferguson said in a video posted to the Open Goal YouTube channel on August 22 at 41:44.

Ferry answered, “Is he?” Is Matondo receiving £34,000 a week? That stuns me beyond belief. Sincerely, I assumed he would be receiving £2,000 per week, possibly £6,000 or £7,000.

Amidst rumours of an Ibrox transfer, will Rabbi Matondo leave the Rangers?

The fact that even the bit players for the Rangers are paid enormous salaries won’t surprise fans, but this most recent information demonstrates just how flawed the current Ibrox setup is.

It is very difficult to let go of players like Matondo, Todd Cantwell, and even Ianis Hagi when they are no longer needed in Glasgow because they are paid salaries that they would not receive at any other team.

The Light Blues are depending on players to take a significant pay cut in order to leave Rangers because even if Matondo were to complete a move to the Championship with Blackburn, he would not make nearly that much money.

Since this foolish behaviour has been the main cause of Clement’s hands being tied for a large portion of the summer transfer window thus far, let’s hope it ends sooner rather than later.

There is a fine line between paying a premium and paying significantly over the odds for players who are simply not good enough, but the Gers will always need to offer a higher salary to entice players to relocate north of the border.

Rangers’ star player sends a harsh message by naming one transfer that would be a “big mistake”

A former fan favourite at Ibrox thinks Rabbi Matondo’s possible move to Leeds United should be stopped.

Alan Hutton, a former fan favourite at Ibrox, has given Philippe Clement, the manager of the Rangers, two transfer questions that he needs to answer correctly by August 30th.

After a busy start to the summer transfer window, the Ibrox club has been quiet on the hunt for new players since the Light Blues’ disappointing Champions League exit ruined the Belgian’s plans to focus on a short list of targets. Instead, it’s Europa League group stage football for the Ibrox team for the second year in a row.

But with the deadline coming up in just over a week, Clement will be eager to add to his team and get rid of some players who aren’t performing well so that players can move on.For example, Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell are two clear candidates who could leave the club to free up some money. Winger Rabbi Matondo has also been linked with English Championship team Leeds United and could bring some money to the club.

Hutton did, however, explain why he thinks they CAN’T sell the Wales international right now. He told BetMGM, “If the Rangers lose Rabbi Matondo this summer, it will be a huge loss.” Even though he doesn’t start every game, I think the Rangers would be making a big mistake if they let his lightning-fast speed go. You can use it as an impact sub or even as a starter.

“Also, who are the Rangers thinking about getting then?” He’s not at all like the other profiles they have, and he’s causing a lot of trouble. You need to get rid of him. That’s a scary time for Rangers right now because I keep hearing rumours that players are leaving the club, which would make their current team worse, which isn’t good.

“Clement said that he needs to get people out of the way before he lets anyone in, but to be honest, I don’t think that helps.” They don’t have many wingers and have to rely on young players who may not be ready yet. Losing Matondo now would be a mistake that would make the team even worse.

There have been rumours that Rangers want to sign Hearts star player Lawrence Shankland. Hutton thinks that Shankland would be a great addition to the team and would “lighten the load” on current No. 9 Cyriel Dessers, but he thinks that a deal should have been made a year ago.

“Yes, they have to,” the expert said next. We should have hired him last summer, in my opinion. Because he has been scoring so many goals the last few seasons, Shankland has now shown everyone in Scottish football what he can do. It would be great if he could help Dessers out because he’s pretty much up there by himself every week.

“Danilo started the game against St. Johnstone the other day, but he still looks very slow, which is normal since he hasn’t played in a long time.” He will need weeks to get up to speed with first-team football. It would be very helpful to have someone on the team like Lawrence Shankland, who is known for scoring goals. Still, I think Dessers has had a great start to the season. He has made the most of his chances so far, but we know from previous seasons how inconsistent he can be. I would feel a lot better if someone helped him through the door before the window ended.

Rangers’ transfer purge intensifies as a crazy Hagi bid is planned, but Cantwell’s departure is “slowed down”

According to Philippe Clement, players have to move on before new hires are made.

An ambitious plan is reportedly being developed by Rapid Bucharest to lure Ianis Hagi back to Romania from Rangers this summer.

After shining for his nation at Euro 2024 in Germany, the 25-year-old Romanian returned from Alaves this summer, hoping for a new beginning under Philippe Clement. However, the Belgian has made it clear that he is not in the first team’s plans at Ibrox. The playmaker, who has played 99 games for the team, has been demoted to the Rangers B team. Record Sport understands that he would receive a pay increase of £6000 per week if he were to start for the senior Light Blues.

However, it has been reported that majority shareholder Dan Sucu is going to offer Hagi a career lifeline and a return to the Pro League with Rapid after selling star player Albion Rrahmani to Sparta Prague. Pro Sport is claiming that Sucu wants to make a “bomb” move in the transfer market following the season’s sluggish start under Neil Lennon.

It says the club owner will “not sit idly by” and feels he can bring Hagi to the team either permanently or on loan, with Hagi being placed on the reserves. The former Celtic manager is facing the sack after just three months on the bench. Not only is Hagi no longer in the starting lineup, but Todd Cantwell is also reportedly considering leaving.

The Englishman has requested Clement’s resignation, but he has not received many takers thus far. Despite being mentioned as a potential partner, Gunebakis reports that the Trabzonspor route out of Ibrox may be closing.

Despite claiming to be “seriously interested,” the Turkish side has “slowed down” their approach without putting in a bid. It has been reported that before formally approaching Rangers, Trabzonspor are considering their other options.

Rangers video from Hampden Park disappears, tearing Danilo to pieces

Gary Keown was forthright in his assessment of the peculiar circumstances surrounding Rangers forward Danilo before Dynamo Kyiv’s Champions League loss.

The team released a video of the injured striker arriving at Hampden Park for the match, which resulted in a 2-0 (3-1 overall) loss for the Gers, eliminating them from the third round of qualifying.

Backers expressed alarm over the 25-year-old’s apparent heavy limping, and after the game, Philippe Clement had to respond to enquiries about it, which Keown called “absurd.”

He expressed his opinion as follows in his column for the Scottish Mail on Sunday, August 18, pages 98 and 99: “Rangers have Danilo, who only came to light this week because the manager had to respond to enquiries regarding the injured Brazilian who was seen hobbling out of the Hampden tunnel on a club video that was taken down from the internet when people began to question why he looked like an old man doing the cripwalk. Cyriel Dessers, on the other hand, has all the poise and calmness in stressful situations like a cornered raccoon.”

Rangers circus best exemplified by Danilo footage

Not even August is over, and the campaign has already experienced all of the season’s misfortunes.

Not a great start to proceedings was the debacle surrounding the redevelopment of the Copland Road Stand at Ibrox and the ensuing scramble to find a temporary home.

It makes sense that the announcement that away fans will once more miss the first two Old Firm derbies of the season has sparked new outrage.

Furthermore, the team appears thin and in severe need of quality as a result of a disorganised transfer window strategy.

In comparison, the video of Danilo and the ensuing controversy is presumably fairly mild. However, it fits with the theme of incompetence that has dogged this season’s early going.

Undoubtedly, a string of excellent on-field performances is required to improve the atmosphere among the supporters. Hopefully, they can deliver.

“I’m informed…” – Keith Jackson: The Rangers’ medical staff is quite worried about a recent injury

Rangers have suffered another setback due to the injury to defender Ridvan Yilmaz, who will be out for a considerable amount of time.

The 23-year-old was stretchered off the pitch during Tuesday’s [13 August] 2-0 Champions League loss to Dynamo Kyiv.

On August 16, Keith Jackson of the Daily Record Sport’s Hotline Live program disclosed that the injury was more severe than anticipated. The medical team expressed concern that the defender might not be able to return to the field for several months.

“I’m hearing the damage is really severe, there’s a lot of oedema around the thigh, and he still can’t get a scan to determine the full extent of the injury,” the man stated.

“This is really concerning the medical department; they believe it may take weeks, even months, and possibly even autumn before Yilmaz is well enough to return.”

Ridvan Yilmaz might be out of the Rangers lineup for months.

Yilmaz, who was primarily responsible for Dynamo Kyiv’s goal in the first leg in Poland and will miss months of action following his cameo in the second leg at Hampden Park, will never want to play against them again.

With Jefte out of the picture after being sent off in Tuesday’s game, Philippe Clement is left with no choice but to stick with the Brazilian in spite of his inconsistent starts to the season in Scotland.

The injury virtually guarantees the Turkish defender’s stay with the Gers this summer and will impact their plans leading up to the August 30 deadline, as they had hoped to trade him for Galatasaray [Krampon Sports].

Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz

With just a few weeks left in the summer transfer window, Clement may have to replace the defender without receiving a financial boost, even though he had planned to replace Yilmaz with the money recovered from his sale.

Rangers are currently in a terrible situation. Clement would have had a large sum of money to attack the transfer window with the £40 million available through Champions League qualification, but he must now stick to his strategy of making smart, inexpensive acquisitions.

In the upcoming weeks, Jefte will have the ideal chance to make an impression on the Rangers supporters. He will also be under tremendous pressure to perform well for the Light Blues and ease Clement’s mind as they aim to challenge Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title this year.

Referee Marco Guida of Bungling Rangers acknowledges that he uses VAR as a safety net that has been taken away from Jefte Howler

The Champions League call, according to Philippe Clement, was the worst he has ever seen.

Referee Marco Guida acknowledged using VAR, and this admission was made just a few days before his red card against the Rangers.

After controversially sending Jefte off in the Champions League, Philippe Clement and his players became enraged with the Italian referee. Dynamo Kyiv eliminated the ten-man Rangers from Europe’s top competition after Guida gave the Brazilian wide player a second yellow card for what he believed to be an elbow to Oleksandr Karavayev. In a furious post-match assessment, manager Clement called it the worst call he had seen in 30 years in football.

Additionally, Guida was interviewed in his native country regarding the new campaign and new rules introduced to the game prior to the start of the upcoming Serie A season. He acknowledged how much he depends on VAR, which was unable to step in during the Jefte incident because bookings cannot be overturned by the system.

“The VAR system has saved me on numerous occasions, but the referee always has the last say,” Guida stated. You may be sent to watch an incident that you initially misjudged by VAR. You still have the final say, though. It’s crucial to keep in mind that we’re only human. The managers make the incorrect substitutions, and the players miss important penalties. Therefore, we always act in good faith when we make mistakes.”

Additionally, he insisted that managers and players cease griping about calls made this season. This demand was disregarded in his first game, as Rangers fans became enraged at the red card. “Stop the protests,” he said. Players and managers.

“We will only be allowed to explain decisions to the captain going forward; everyone else will be given a yellow card if they continue to object to every choice. Cliques, mobbing, and needless pressure are things we want to see less of. Players and managers will not be tolerated for acting in that manner.”

Bundesliga heavyweight reported to be on the verge of a £4.2 million deal with the Gers

The Rangers’ transfer window has been erratic, beginning with the seemingly distant double signing of Vaclav Cerny and Robin Pröpper.

Being forced to sell before he can buy because too many players are earning large salaries but either aren’t contributing at all or aren’t a good fit for Philippe Clement’s style of play is obviously frustrating to him.

Even so, Rangers continue to be linked to new players, and one player that was only mentioned in passing earlier in the transfer window has now been officially identified as a target.

Rangers make a disclosed bid for Gustavo Puerta

Young players who can contribute right away have been taken into consideration for signings under Nils Koppen’s policy, and Gustavo Puerta meets many of the same criteria as Oscar Cortes.

Furthermore, they are represented by the same representatives with whom Rangers developed a positive rapport during the TransferRoom conferences, which the director of recruitment has been attending.

The Danish media outlet Tipsbladet’s Farzam Abolhosseini claims that Rangers may have competition for the 20-year-old explosive midfield player.

“Just in the last few weeks, a lot of media outlets have claimed that the major Scottish and Belgian teams, Rangers FC and Anderlecht, have made bids for him and are vying for his signature. The same goes for PAOK, Blackburn Rovers, and other Bundesliga teams, and Tipsbladet is aware that a major Danish club is also attempting to sign him.

“Gustavo Puerta is also such a crucial component of the German champions’ plans that they will pay handsomely to let him go. It was recently very closely reported that Anderlecht would be willing to rent him while also receiving a six million euro, or DKK 45 million, purchase option.”

Given that Jose Cifuentes is expected to sell for £4.2 million, a loan-to-buy agreement with a £5 million purchase option wouldn’t be unachievable.

Brøndby prøver intenst at lande Gustavo Puerta fra Leverkusen som den midtbaneforstærkning, man så hårdt har jagtet. Den colombianske juvel har et hav af tilbud fra store klubber og altså også fra Danmark. https://t.co/AUoDYPSTJ2

— Farzam Abolhosseini (@F_Abolhosseini) August 12, 2024

Puerta would be a great addition to the Rangers.

Puerta has demonstrated his talent as a player by playing for Bayer Leverkusen in the previous season. His 30 Colombia Under-20 caps further support this claim.

Rangers need to fortify themselves in this part of the park, and Philippe Clement would welcome additional options to sit in front of the defence and control play.

For once, none of the other teams listed are infamous big spenders who could destroy the Rangers, but they will have to act quickly to secure the enforcer’s powerful build.

The manager will have more money to spend on recruiting players to Ibrox if they qualify for the Champions League, but making quality investments may be crucial to their initial qualification.

Ibrox View: Rangers get a boost as attacker Clement wants to sign players who were left out of the pre-season squad

Rangers has been busy with transfers so far, but there are still a few more players that need to be brought to Ibrox before the end of August.

It’s likely that Philippe Clement’s team is just better than it was last season. The recent additions of Vaclav Cerny and Robin Propper have given them much-needed depth and experience.

But the Light Blues are still missing one player: Abdallah Sima. He played very well while on loan in Glasgow last season, but he has now returned to Brighton, and it’s not clear what will happen with him there.

But Rangers haven’t been able to meet Brighton’s asking price to complete the deal [Rangers Review, 15 July]. Clement has said that he wants to bring the Senegal international back to Scotland this summer.

In an article from August 8, Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack said that there is still a chance that the deal could go through before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Will Abdallah Sima leave Brighton amid rumours that he will join Rangers?

Rangers may have even better chances of getting Sima after new information came out about Brighton during their pre-season game against Villareal on August 10th.

The attacker wasn’t in either the starting lineup or the substitutes’ bench for Brighton’s last pre-season game, which suggests Fabian Hurzeler doesn’t really want to use him in the new season.

TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Here’s our starting XI to take on Villarreal this afternoon. 📝 pic.twitter.com/e32bEDQLlO

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 10, 2024

After watching him play in preseason, the manager might not be ready for him to play regularly in the Premier League. If this is the case, he might be open to letting him leave, either on loan or permanently.

These developments are very good news for both Clement and Nils Koppen because they mean a deal can be reached if the Light Blues can quickly find a way to meet the Seagulls’ asking price.

The Glasgow club is likely to lose a few more high-profile players before the end of the transfer window. This could help them make enough money and free up some wage space to make a deal.

Confirmed: Cyriel Dessers spoke with the player before the transfer, and Rangers revealed the new addition

Before moving to Ibrox, Cyriel Dessers, a striker for Rangers, spoke with Robin Propper, the Dutch defender has confirmed.

In an August 9 interview with the team’s official website, the 30-year-old stated that he had spoken with the Nigerian international, who had been his Heracles teammate, directly.

On August 1st, the centre back completed his transfer to Ibrox, taking Connor Goldson’s place as he joined Aris Limassol.

“I spoke with some of the players who were already here and played for Rangers, and I did so in a short period of time,” Propper stated.

“To whom did I speak? I called Cyriel Dessers right away after playing against him and with him at Heracles [Almelo].

“I spoke with Sam Lammers, who recently transferred to FC Twente, and I spoke with the coach a few times as well, so I tried to complete the majority of my research quickly.”

This season, Robin Propper could be Rangers’ defensive rock.

This season, Propper’s arrival at Ibrox might greatly improve the team’s defence.

The seasoned Dutch defender, who previously played for Heracles and FC Twente, brings a wealth of experience and a strong resume.

His proactive approach in reaching out to Dessers and other team members to gain insights into the club, along with his ability to adjust fast and communicate with his teammates, demonstrate his commitment to blending in with the team.

Notwithstanding his own uncertain future at the team, the Nigerian should also be commended for his part in persuading Propper to join the Gers.[The Daily Record]

This demonstrates Dessers’ professionalism and commitment to the group’s accomplishment.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement

His readiness to share insightful information with Propper regarding the culture and standards of the club shows how well-versed he is in the organisation and how dedicated he is to seeing it succeed.

“You’re forgetting something,” says the new manager as the £2.5 million player that Rangers sold waits for his first start

The overarching theme of Philippe Clement’s recent Rangers press conferences has been “patience.”

The Ibrox CEO forewarned supporters that they would have to wait to see Clinton Nsiala and Hamza Igamane play for the first time before the 2024–25 campaign officially began.

The 19-year-old centre back and the £1.7 million addition from Morocco deserve the time and room they require to adjust to life in Scotland, and Clement is eager to provide it to them.

Although there was a hint of disappointment when the Rangers revealed their starting lineup for their Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday—Connor Barron being the only new player—Clement is unwavering in his approach.

After arriving less than a week ago, Robin Propper, the bargain £1.5 million acquisition from FC Twente, needs to exercise patience once more.

Vaclav Cerny and Jefte are similar in that they were effective coming off the bench when Cyriel Dessers saved a draw in Poland, but they weren’t quite ready to start for the first team.

Jefte and Vaclav Cerny make an impact for the Rangers off the bench.

Cerny crossed the ball for Dessers to seal the thrilling 94th-minute victory of the evening.

Though Michel Vlap’s own stoppage time effort was insufficient to prevent Twente from losing their own third-round qualifying match against Red Bull Salzburg, there was still some late drama in Austria.

In contrast, Twente coach Joseph Oosting is behaving similarly to Clement when it comes to his own recent additions.

Misfit former Rangers playerIn Salzburg, Sam Lammers began his career on the bench. It was only about thirty minutes to go when he was introduced.

Despite all the talk of “patience,” Oosting seemed to run out of it when pressed about why he didn’t start Lammers. especially after a naive reporter chose to cast doubt on Lammers’ suitability.

Oosting snapped back, via Ziggo Sport, “Well, I think you’re forgetting something here, aren’t you?” “Ricky and Sem Steijn combined for sixteen goals to lead the scoring last year!”

In addition to being Twente’s first-choice number nine, Ricky van Wolfswinkel serves as their captain. Following Propper’s abrupt departure to the Rangers, the armband was passed down to the well-traveled former Norwich City targetman.

Lammers will play a lot of minutes. Oosting will not, however, be walking into the starting lineup like he did when he joined Utrecht in the winter, with Van Wolfswinkel and the excellent Steijn two of the first names on his team sheet.

Robin Propper and Sam Lammers switch places.

Oosting continues, “We’ve brought in a striker who can also play.” Given Lammers’ deep ball ability, he may be able to partner with a traditional number nine in Van Wolfswinkel. He also arrived somewhat later to help with pre-season planning.

“Lammers will be alright. Ricky will be our first target today.

Twente, who placed third last season, ahead of Ajax, the Dutch powerhouse, will play their Eredivisie opener this weekend against NEC Nijmegen, and on Tuesday, they will host Red Bull Salzburg for the second leg in Enschede.

Additionally, Twente won’t be led by Propper in a premier match for the first time since 2021.

According to Dominique Scholten, managing director, “anything can happen until September 1,” the Twente website reports. The abrupt departure of our captain, Robin Propper, to Rangers FC, is proof of that.

Naturally, that is a loss, and the timing couldn’t be more terrible. However, it also presents chances for other participants. We are grateful for Robin’s outstanding dedication to FC Twente.

Cerny makes his first start following Cortes’ injury, and a Propper headache emerges – how Rangers will line up against Dynamo Kyiv

How will Rangers line up for their crucial Euro clash in Poland?

Philippe Clement hinted that Rangers’ Champions League qualifying first leg against Dynamo Kyiv may be without their new defensive leader, Robin Propper.

The Ukrainian club is between Gers and a playoff against FC Twente or RB Salzburg, with the winner advancing to the lucrative new league phase of Europe’s elite club competition. Rangers are in Poland for the first leg before returning to Hampden next week. They are hoping for another successful Euro night to kickstart their season after a slow start against Hearts.

During his pre-match press conference, Clement confirmed that new defender Propper is fit to play. But he also hinted that he isn’t quite ready to start yet. He commented: “Robin Propper is fit, but he has had a busy few days off the pitch he has had to sort since arriving in Scotland with his family.”

Leon Balogun’s presence at Clement’s press conference suggests the experienced Nigerian will take the lead. If Propper is not in yet, he will be joined by either John Souttar or Ben Davies.

predicted Rangers XI

Oscar Cortes will be out for four to five weeks due to an injury, which is a blow to Clement, but Vaclav Cerny could make his first competitive start. He came on as a substitute against Hearts and will be eager to start here if given the opportunity. Scott Wright or Rabbi Matondo, who was a substitute for Cortes against the Jambos, will compete for his spot.

Cyriel Dessers appears to have Clement’s confidence in his ability to continue leading the line, and he delivered some key Euro moments last season. Tom Lawrence will most likely follow, with Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande in support at No.6.

Provisional Rangers squad

Goalkeepers

Jack Butland

Liam Kelly

Lewis Budinauckas

Defenders

James Tavernier

Ridvan Yilmaz

Robin Propper

John Souttar

Dujon Sterling

Jefte

Ben Davies

Leon Balogun

Leon King

Midfielders

Connor Barron

Mohamad Diomande

Kieran Dowell

Tom Lawrence

Cole McKinnon

Attackers

Cyriel Dessers.

Rabbi Matondo

Vaclav Cerny

Scott Wright

Hamza Igamane

Danilo

After an almost fatal Ibrox transfer, Wonderkid poses with a Rangers shirt

Wonderkid Xavi Simons, following a near-miss Ibrox transfer, posed wearing a Rangers shirt.

The Dutch celebrity was pictured wearing a Rangers uniform when he visited The Breeze Bar Benimar.

Simons, a Paris Saint-Germain player, excelled for the Netherlands during the most recent Euro 2024 competition.

The 21-year-old is also expected to have enormous success in the future because he has grown into a true international and is an important member of the loan team RB Salzburg.

Three years ago, however, there were reports that suggested Simons’s circumstances might have been very different.

Rangers was one of the teams interested in the midfield player when Simons first left PSG to join PSV Eindhoven.

Then, according to reports, manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst approached Simons about signing.

Although Simons was never given the chance to pose with the Rangers uniform, The Breeze Bar shared a photo of him wearing it: “When Xavi Simons pops in.”

The football sensation is surrounded in the photo by framed Rangers uniforms, and the Benimar pub in the background is filled with tonnes of Rangers memorabilia.

Oscar Cortes, a 20-year-old who was forced off against Hearts, is a winger, and Philippe Clement is waiting on an update on his injury.

The Colombian international, who was sidelined for a significant portion of the previous season due to a cruel knee injury, appeared upset as he trudged off at Tynecastle.

“I cannot say at this time,” Clement remarked. He suffered a serious knee injury in the first half after tumbling badly during a duel.

However, he claimed that he was OK for the second part, and the doctor tested him as well.

“With his first sprint, he felt too much pain so we had to take him off.”

Rangers chairman’s £11.5 million transfer claims looked at, and Philippe Clement backed up to the hilt

Rangers chairman John Bennett has hit back at claims that Ibrox hasn’t been getting enough money.

The manager of the under-fire Gers kept his promise to give a tough speech to fans this week, even though the club is in chaos before the season even started.

But because of the mess with the Copland Stand, the club’s CEO leaving, and the slow rebuilding process, John Bennett says the board has already backed Philippe Clement.

The Rangers manager knows that there is still a lot of work to be done on transfers. In the meantime, Bennett says that the shareholders at Ibrox have been putting up the money to make progress.

But where is the £11.5 million that the Rangers chairman gave to Philippe Clement?

Bennett: £11.5m has already been given to Clement

Bennett says that Rangers have already spent a huge £11.5 million on Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen in the first two transfer windows.

This is before any loan players come in.

Bennett made it clear that the Belgian has been backed, even though the rebuilding job is bigger than anyone thought. The numbers are pretty amazing and are likely to go up as the window goes on.

Rangers have lost a lot of once-important first-team players for nothing over the years because of bad squad management. The club’s options are also limited because it keeps overpaying for useless players.

“People talk a lot about the stages of buying and selling,” Bennett told RangersTV.

🎙️ Chairman John Bennett sat down with @RangersTV this week to provide an update on a number of topics including the Copland Stand works, playing at Hampden, club finances and the transfer window. pic.twitter.com/1G5voK0qnB

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) July 29, 2024

“If you look at the facts, not just in this window but also in windows before this one, how has Rangers worked?”

“And I want us to stop doing things the way we have been doing them, which is that the board has stood behind each window.”

“If I look at 2024 from January to now, excluding loans, we have debts and commitments worth over 10 million dollars.”

“With loans taken out, we’re about £11.5 million in transfer payables so far, and loans aren’t free.”

Who did the Rangers pay to sign?

Since Philippe Clement joined Rangers, the team has signed six players to stay.

The first player on that list is Mohamed Diomande. Rangers paid Danish club FC Nordsjælland about £4.3m (Sky Sports) to sign the Ivorian player permanently this summer.

After that, the club paid around £400,000 (Rangers Review) to get Brazilian left back Jefte from Fluminense.

Another player that Rangers bought for £1.7 million was Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane from FAR Rabat. However, the striker is not yet ready to make an impact in Glasgow.

How to figure out the rest of the fees is where things get tricky.

Reports don’t include the costs of agents and signing on fees for Clinton Nsiala (AC Milan) and Liam Kelly (Motherwell), even though they joined for free.

Rangers and Aberdeen are also going to court over Scotland U21 midfielder Connor Barron, and it’s still not clear how much will have to be paid for the player.

Let’s say, just for fun, that a fee of around £1m is likely to be seen as fair.

With those six new players, Rangers have spent about £7.4m so far this window.

It is closer to Bennett’s suggested fee, though, when you count the loan-to-buy deal for Oscar Cortes. Rangers will sign the Colombian winger permanently from RC Lens next summer.

Chris Jack and the Rangers Review say that Rangers has already agreed to pay around £4m to get the Colombian player at the end of the season.

We think that around £11.4m has already been pledged to Clement’s plan to rebuild Ibrox, and that number is likely to go up in the days and weeks to come.

“They’re failing,” Pundit blast the Rangers board, while Clement wants to give up and sign with another team

Derek Ferguson says that Philippe Clement’s transfer targets will wait no longer for Rangers to make sales so that they can afford to buy them.

The manager of the Light Blues told the public on July 13 that he had to sell in order to buy [Daily Record], but those sales are only now starting to go through after Sam Lammers joined FC Twente.

But Ferguson, a midfielder who used to play at Ibrox, has criticised the Gers board for hiring an ambitious manager but not letting him fix up his team.

Experts worry that Clement will not be able to get the senior players he wanted because the transfer window is almost over and players are already signing with other teams.

He only told Ibrox News, “The board needs to get their act together and stop talking trash.”

“They hired an ambitious manager, but you need to give him the tools to bring these guys in yourself.”

“They keep saying there’s no money, but some guys leaving will make some money available.”

“But we’re keeping an eye on all of these guys, and a little while from now, they’ll have other offers as well.”

“At some point, they need to take care of themselves.”

“I have to be honest with you—it’s a bit of a mess. But that mess is their fault, and they’re failing the Rangers support big time.”

The Rangers transfer window is a long one for Philippe Clement.

John Bennett and the Ibrox board could point to the money that was used to make Mohamed Diomande’s loan permanent and the money that was set aside to sign Oscar Cortes on a similar deal.

For the Connor Barron deal, Aberdeen also wants to get as much money as possible from the Light Blues.

But the point is still made that Clement is having to pick up the pieces after Michael Beale’s failure a year ago and is under more financial pressure than Beale was.

But with players like Lammers and Goldson leaving and James Tavernier being heavily linked with a move, the wage bill is now open, so the manager will be eager to bring in his own players after missing out on Jose Cordoba and Yusuf Kabadayi this summer.

“Getting Desperate”: Pundit responds as Rangers miss out on striker who wanted to move to Ibrox

Because Danilo is still a few weeks away from being fully fit, Derek Ferguson says Rangers need to sign a new striker right away.

The defender who used to play at Ibrox thinks that the Brazilian will need more time to fully recover from the injury that kept him out for most of last season and that Cyriel Dessers, who is currently the team’s best forward, needs more competition.

After being released by Sheffield United this summer, Oli McBurnie was free to sign with any team. He had publicly said that he wanted to play for the Light Blues [Stomping Ground Podcast, 5 April], but he made a surprise move to Las Palmas in La Liga instead.

Ferguson thinks that the Scotland international was a missed chance and that he “absolutely” would have been worth bringing in, even if the response wasn’t great.

He only talked to Ibrox News and said, “I think a lot of fans maybe turned their noses up a little at first.”

“But we need players through the door, and we need them badly.”

“That’s the stage. I think it will take Danilo another three or four weeks to catch up.”

“So Oli McBurnie, we all know he cheers for Rangers and has played for Scotland.”

The boy is a good player, and if we had the chance to go get him, or if we could have gotten him through the door, we would have.

“You need all the competition.” Does Dessers work? It’s not hard to see.

Oli McBurnie joined Las Palmas even though he wants to play for Rangers.

Kemar Roofe has been sold, Sam Lammers has been released, and Cyriel Dessers could still be sold. Danilo has been tipped to be a key player this season [Kris Boyd, 5 July], but he hasn’t played much football, so he probably won’t be able to get up to speed right away.

Philippe Clement had to wait for sales to happen before he could buy, and a move for Hearts star Lawrence Shankland is now back on the table [Rangers Review, July 24].

With six Premier League goals last season, McBurnie, who is 28 years old, seemed like he was free to take.

There might have been a need to save money on wages, but his own goals could have allowed him to wait if interest was made clear.

Theo Bair was liked by The Athletic on June 23 but has since gone to play for another team. Albion Rrahmani and Bojan Miovski also don’t seem to be in the running [Daily Record, July 15].

So there are growing worries that Rangers could be light up top again if they don’t get more help soon.

Doctor makes claim for first-team football while Rangers make offer to sign South American winger

Rangers are interested in Atletico Nacional winger Edier Ocampo, but Dr. Rajpal Brar says he won’t be able to play regular senior football for a few months.

The injury expert says that the Colombian hasn’t played football outside of his home country and is still pretty young, so the switch to regular first-team football will be slow so that he doesn’t get hurt.

The news came after Fishajes said on July 25 that Gers had made an offer to sign the 20-year-old winger.

Doctor of physical therapy and sports scientist Brar talked about his situation only with Ibrox News. He said:

“Ocampo has only played in Colombia and is still very young, so it would be unlikely to sign him for the first team, at least for the first season.”

“Rangers should gradually increase his strength and conditioning work to meet the needs of the game while easing him in slowly to make sure the transition goes smoothly.”

“You have to give yourself time to adapt, both mentally and physically.”

“I think it would be a few months before he could play regular senior football, and he would have to be built in slowly when he was ready.”

Edier Ocampo would be a good long-term choice for Rangers.

As a bright future prospect, Ocampo should be signed by Gers because he has shown a lot of promise.

He has already proven himself at age 20 by playing well as both a right back and a winger.

Adding him could give the team more depth and competition, especially if James Tavernier leaves.

James Tavernier has had a stellar Rangers career

Because Ocampo can help on both offence and defence, Philippe Clement, who wants to improve his team for the future, is interested in signing him.

Sam Lammers’ exit cash unlocks Lawrence Shankland to Rangers transfer move, as Hearts brace for bid

The Tynecastle captain is wanted by Ibrox boss Philippe Clement this summer.

Sam Lammers is on the verge of joining Twente Enschede for £2.7 million, potentially allowing Rangers to fund their bid for Lawrence Shankland.

On Tuesday, Record Sport reported that the Hearts skipper is back on the wanted list at Ibrox due to a shift in position from Philippe Clement. However, the Belgian manager will still need to raise around £3 million to persuade the Edinburgh club to sell the talismanic striker. Clement may soon receive a windfall as Dutch frontman Lammers prepares to return to his homeland.

The 27-year-old has been told he will not play a role in Clement’s summer rebuild, but he still has three years left on his lucrative contract after joining from Italian club Atalanta last summer. While Utrecht and NAC Breda matched the asking price, they failed to meet the player’s wage demands.

Twente, on the other hand, believes they have the funds to bring Lammers back to the Netherlands after setting aside a package worth around £1.3 million per year to sign Wout Weghorst from Burnley. However, it is understood that the Euro 2024 star ended discussions last week, with Twente’s focus shifting to Gers’ Lammers instead.

If a deal can be reached, Clement will look to spend the funds raised, with Shankland high on his list of targets despite the manager’s decision not to sign the Scotland striker in January. Clement is desperate to bring in reinforcements ahead of the Premiership opener against Shankland’s Jambos at Tynecastle next Saturday, and he may arrange a loan for Sevilla star Joan Jordan in the coming days.

According to reports, the La Liga club wants Rangers to agree to a season-long loan with an option to buy the midfielder for up to £4 million. This deal would also require the Light Blues to cover roughly 60% of the 30-year-old’s salary.

Jordan could be joined by Vaclav Cerny, who is expected to move on loan from Wolfsburg. Meanwhile, James Tavernier, Todd Cantwell, and Connor Goldson are looking into ways to leave.

Jack Butland: ‘Alarm bells’ ringing for Rangers following latest – sources

Rangers have slapped a “astronomical” price tag on Jack Butland amid financial concerns, according to Football Insider sources.

On the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior writer Pete O’Rourke stated that Philippe Clement’s £30 million value may discourage prospective teams.

The club plans to raise funds through player sales this summer, but by pricing Butland so expensive, they are unlikely to cash in on one of their most valuable assets.

While Clement’s club will retain a top player at Ibrox, it will do nothing to enhance the group for the future, raising worries among supporters.

Pressure is increasing on both the manager and the board to reduce the gap on Celtic, but budgetary constraints are becoming a stumbling block.

Jack Butland’s transfer announcement raises alarms at Rangers

Rangers need to sell players before they can buy this summer, and Clement just confirmed that every player is available for purchase at the appropriate price.

This statement, however, did not include Butland, with the club anxious to keep last season’s Player of the Year despite his high resale value.

Butland joined Ibrox for free last summer after leaving Crystal Palace and soon established himself as a key member of the squad.

Last season, he appeared 58 times in all competitions, helping Rangers win the Scottish League Cup despite losing the Scottish Cup and League.

He remains an important element of Clement’s strategy and will not be allowed to go, despite interest from English teams.

However, Rangers may face additional problems if they are unable to move some of their peripheral players to make room for new newcomers.

According to Football Insider, both Connor Goldson and James Tavernier have shown interest in leaving Ibrox, but financial concerns remain.

Fabrizio Romano reports Rangers-linked Scotland striker now has signed surprise transfer

During this window of transfers, Rangers are searching for more firepower.

After conceding several goals from the team’s ineffective forward line during the previous campaign, the Gers still appear short in the last third.

With Danilo, a Brazilian striker, having only recently returned from injury and Cyriel Dessers’ status still unknown, Rangers supporters are hoping for one more senior option to join the team this transfer window.

However, Fabrizio Romano claims that one possible option for the Scotland national team will not be to move to Ibrox after agreeing to an unexpected transfer to Spain.

McBurnie seals an unexpected agreement in Spain

Oliver McBurnie’s connections to the Rangers are always present.

Despite being born in Leeds, the 28-year-old Scotland international striker has a deep bond with the Ibrox club and isn’t afraid to flaunt his Rangers colours.

Although McGurnie acknowledged that he would be amenable to joining Rangers after departing Sheffield United in the summer, the lanky striker is more likely to move to sunny Spain.

At least, that’s what Fabrizio Romano says, stating that Oliver McBurnie has an agreement with Las Palmas, a La Liga team.

According to Romano, McBurnie, a free agent, will have a medical on Friday before moving permanently to Gran Canaria.

🟡🌴 Excl: Scottish striker Oli McBurnie, set to join Las Palmas as free agent after leaving Sheffield Utd as verbal agreement is done.

Medical booked on Friday. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/JIZFKAhLBC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2024

Hunt for a Rangers striker continues

Any notion that Oliver McBurnie could have filled Rangers’ striker void has been dispelled by the agreement to bring the hitman to Spain.

Although there hasn’t been a formal indication that Rangers intended to sign McBurnie this summer, the striker has frequently been linked to Ibrox throughout his career.

The contract McBurnie had with Sheffield United, where he had moved in a £20 million deal from Swansea in 2019, expired, so maybe there was a chance to make a deal this summer.

Now the focus will be on potential strikers that Rangers could be interested in signing.

Whilst McBurnie has found himself out of the Scotland picture as of late, another Scotland international forward in Lawrence Shankland has been linked to Rangers once again.

Another bluenose hitman who has made no bones about his Ibrox loyalties, the links have polarised supporters as Rangers look to strengthen the Ibrox forward line.

Rangers bid to sign £3m goal machine

According to the Daily Record, Philippe Clement is reportedly prepared to “push the button” on a Rangers trade for Hearts attacker Lawrence Shankland.

The Scotland international is once again on the Gers’ radar, according to a report from the newspaper in its online version on Monday, July 22, even though manager Clement decided not to pursue a deal back in January.

Shankland is nearing the end of his Tynecastle deal, but according to the Record, the Jambos may still demand “top dollar,” with Rangers possibly needing to come up with as much as £3 million to get the 28-year-old.

Before making a move for Shankland, the Light Blues would need to offload players in order to balance the books.

It makes sense for the Rangers to sign Lawrence Shankland.

With this one, it feels like Groundhog Day all over again because, during the January transfer window, the Rangers were constantly connected to a deal for Shankland.

Now, though, things are different because Rangers lost out to rivals Celtic for the Scottish Premiership, and you can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Shankland had stayed at Ibrox.

At 28, Shankland is in the prime of his career and was the leading scorer in the Scottish Premiership the previous season with 24 goals.

The saying goes, “Defence wins titles,” and while there is some truth to that, Rangers need to add some quality to their final third as goals win championships.

Should they be able to acquire Shankland for approximately £3 million, it might be a crucial investment in their pursuit of winning the championship. To be honest, it makes perfect sense.

Casemiro’s four-word reaction to Manchester United’s win over Rangers at Murrayfield

Rangers outcast Sam Lammers declined a move to NEC Nijmegen, according to The Scottish Sun.

The newspaper said on its website [21 July] that, despite manager Rogier Meijer’s interest in the Dutch striker this summer, Lammers has decided not to leave Ibrox for the Eredivisie club.

Lammers was expected to be one of the first players to go after his remarkable six-month loan spell with FC Utrecht, but he has decided to stay put for the time being.

Sam Lammers rejects an Ibrox escape as Rangers transfer discussions emerge.

After failing to strike the ground running at Ibrox, scoring only twice in 31 appearances, he elected to spend the second part of the season on loan in the Netherlands.

He scored 11 goals in 20 games, attracting interest from a number of clubs, including Nijmegen, who are certainly interested in signing him this summer.

According to the Daily Record, Utrecht are willing to match the Gers’ £2.7 million asking price for the 27-year-old, but his salary is a concern.

Lammers has a chance to stay in Scotland and compete for a spot in the team, despite continued doubts over Cyriel Dessers’ availability.

With Danilo out for much of last season, the Nigerian striker was Clement’s only viable option at Ibrox, and he continued to disappoint with his all-round performance.

Clement hoped that bringing Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves would relieve some of Dessers’ goalscoring strain, but despite scoring over 20 goals in his first season, fans remain sceptical.

It will be an intriguing tale to follow this summer to see if Lammers is looking for a better offer elsewhere or if he is willing to stay at Ibrox and battle for his club.

Fantastic’ attacker who wants to come to Scotland is being pursued by Rangers, and they are willing to pay more than £7 million for him

According to the Daily Record, Rangers have made a proposal of more than £7 million in an attempt to capture attacker Morgan Whittaker of Plymouth Argyle.

On July 19, the news outlet said that the Championship club had rejected Gers’ first offer for the 23-year-old right winger.

Although Ibrox has been considering the Englishman for some time, manager Wayne Rooney wants to keep him at the team and is aware that he wants to move to Scotland.

Rangers finally shown ambition after Philippe Clement’s concerns about the future surfaced.

The Gers’ offer for Whittaker shows a great deal of ambition and a readiness to make team investments.

This action takes place in the midst of uncertainty surrounding Philippe Clement’s future. The Belgian has already voiced worries about the club’s financial status and the money available for transfers, and Kris Boyd even expressed anxiety that he would depart.

Contrary to Clement’s previous remarks, the bid of over £7 million for the 23-year-old indicates that the club is willing to make financial investments in order to develop the team.

Whittaker has been a long-term objective for the Ibrox team and has previously been praised for his skills. He scored 19 goals and contributed eight assists for Plymouth Argyle in the Championship last season.

When he was at Swansea and scored a hat-trick against Plymouth, the manager Russell Martin commented, “I thought he was fantastic.” He has plenty at his disposal.

He is a long-term aim, and his acquisition to the team would give the offensive unit much-needed talent and depth.

The 23-year-old would surely be a regular starter due to his quickness and ability to consistently threaten goals.

Additionally, his signing would make it clear to the league’s other teams and spectators that the Geeks are serious about contending for championships.

‘Time for change’: David Edgar blasts Rangers board in new CEO’s admission

David Edgar has slammed the Rangers board after recent revelations, acknowledging that it is “time for change” at Ibrox.

The Gers board has faced criticism this summer for delays in Ibrox renovation as well as a lack of transfer movement in and out of Philippe Clement’s side during the transfer window.

The Light Blues have yet to name a new CEO after James Bisgrove’s surprising departure. Heart and Hand broadcaster Edgar says the current structure at Rangers “hasn’t worked”.

On Thursday (18 July), he wrote on X that a board of directors should not be involved in the day-to-day operations of any corporation. Appoint a CEO, then stand aside and allow them to run the show while keeping an eye on things.

“If they fail to hit the agreed-upon targets, fire them and move on. We’ve had a ‘too many cooks’ situation at Ibrox for far too long, and it’s not working. “It’s time for change.”

Are Rangers close to making any new additions during the summer transfer window?

Supporters have every reason to be frustrated with the Rangers board at this time, since those in authority have promised far more than they are capable of delivering.

This summer, Clement and his recruiting staff were intended to rebuild the playing squad, but just one player has been moved for a transfer fee, second-choice goalie Robby McCrorie.

Several players, including James Tavernier, Todd Cantwell, Sam Lammers, and Cyriel Dessers, have been associated with leaving Glasgow, but have yet to make a move.

A board at a business – any business – shouldn’t be involved in day-to-day running of it. Appoint a CEO, stand back and let them run it and keep overview of it.

If they don’t hit agreed targets, fire them and move on.

We’ve had a ‘too many cooks’ situation at Ibrox for too long…

— Heart & Hand Podcast (@ibroxrocks) July 18, 2024

Furthermore, the lack of communication from the club’s top management on the delays at Ibrox and then the interim relocation to Hampden Park has been amateurish at best.

Rangers need to step up their game if they truly want to close the gap on the pitch with Celtic, since their recent acts have been amateurish.

Ibrox View: Koppen has to sign striker linked to Rangers ASAP following goal v Tottenham

 

Following the outstanding performance of the forward in a pre-season game against Tottenham, Rangers’ director of football recruitment Nils Koppen has a wonderful opportunity to bring Lawrence Shankland to Ibrox and should act fast.

Shankland proved his mettle on Wednesday, July 17, in the friendly against Spurs by scoring for Hearts in a game Tynecastle lost 5-1.

Following a defensive error by Tottenham’s team, Shankland got the ball in the box before turning swiftly and coolly placing it into the bottom corner of the net.

The Gers need this kind of goalscoring capacity exactly to challenge Celtic for the championship next season.

Rangers attached to Lawrence Shankland

Rangers are eager to return after Shankland once more [GIVEMESPORT, 17 May] with Philippe Clement scheduled to bolster the squad to Premiership success.

Losing to Celtic, who just won their third consecutive championship, has motivated everyone at the Gers to keep becoming better.

With thirty goals and eight assists, Shankland has had an incredible season.

Clement might be short in forwards with Kemar Roofe’s contract ending and Fabio Silva returning to Wolves, so Shankland becomes even more crucial.

Goal: Lawrence Shankland | Hearts 1-1 Tottenhampic.twitter.com/okGhY5jiXN

— PushGoals (@PushGoals) July 17, 2024

Although Shankland only has one year left on his contract, GiveMeSport’s report indicates Hearts value him at £5 million, which would seem a lot. Nevertheless, his goalscoring might be very important for Rangers.

Rangers should try once more even though they struggled to sign him earlier. Shankland’s abilities might be the secret to surpassing Celtic and claiming the championship.

Koppen should hence act right now. Shankland’s latest performance against Tottenham demonstrates his capability. Rangers should sign him at this ideal moment and bring his skill to Ibrox.

After the winger deal, Koppen may have more opportunities thanks to the Gers’ unique transfer “relationship”

There has been a refreshingly new attitude to the Rangers transfer market, with names from all over the world being mooted as potential targets.

Philippe Clement has also discussed Nils Koppen’s new hiring strategy, and the management is expecting to sign more players like Mohamed Diomande.

Oscar Cortes, a 20-year-old Colombian who made an impression during his early appearances before an injury terminated his season with the Rangers, is one “new” addition who will be a welcome sight once he is completely up to speed.

 

Oscar Cortes’ move to the Rangers may only be the beginning.

Cortes was a star of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup just last summer, and he has now been confirmed as a permanent deal, albeit with a one-year loan first.

Given that Koppen now frequently attends the TransferRoom briefings, it has been explained how the Rangers were able to sign such a gifted young player.

Agents and club representatives gather at these events to talk about potential players and possible deal structures.

Tomas Sarmiento, an agent for Cortes, gave TransferRoom an explanation of why the platform is so crucial for hiring managers.

Many individuals, I would say, are hesitant to bring Latin American players to the European market because they haven’t been proven at what you would consider to be the upper echelons of the game.

Through these portals, we are able to speak with those in positions of authority and discuss in greater depth any uncertainties they may have and how best to address them.

“TransferRoom gave us the ability to set up meetings, exchanges, and all of this.

Oscar Cortes will stay with the Rangers after a good agreement was reached. It’s a club that has done a great deal to help him grow and adjust to life in Europe.

“I believe he’s headed in the right direction, and hopefully, with all the support TransferRoom offered, we can build on this relationship and open up new markets.”

How @RangersFC signed Óscar Cortés ✍️

🤝 Agent-club connection made at a #TransferRoomSummit
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish side the right fit for South American talents

The Colombian winger’s agency, Top Athlete Management, explains how the January loan, made again this summer, was possible.… pic.twitter.com/K2hHlnSzUZ

— TransferRoom (@transferroom) July 15, 2024

The Rangers’ partnership with the Cortes agency may be beneficial.

It can only be advantageous to have a positive working connection with a company such as Top Athlete Management.

A player trade model that works must capture players before they make their “big” move.

For Rangers, South America is a mostly unexplored market that may also be inexpensive if players are acquired at the appropriate time.

Oscar Cortes has only showed hints of his potential thus far, so supporters will be eager to see what he can do now that he has completed the preseason and is healthy. At £4 million, he will be expected to deliver.

When TransferRoom hosts another event in a few weeks, hopefully Koppen will find someone similar for the other wing.

Based on latest Rangers’ update, Copa America standout gets nearer to summer transfer

Among the players connected to Rangers from Latin America recently is Thomas Galdames.

Following the breakdown of the Jose Cordoba deal, 25-year-old Chileno defender from Ibrox was highlighted as a transfer target for initially unidentified Belgian teams.

In recent seasons, there has been an effort to develop the athletic 6ft Chilean into an aggressive left-back alternative; he is a natural center-back.

As Thomas Galdames gets ready to depart Godoy Cruz, there is a lot of gossip about him.

Following Chile’s exit from the Copa America, Galdames is prepared to make his next decision after the conversation about the player’s future stopped by the tournament.

Now a Belgian newspaper has been offering an update on Ranger’s interest in the defender and what is most likely to happen next.

Galdames closing in on a move.

Back in June, it was reported that Royal Antwerp, a Belgian team, is closely monitoring Thomas Galdames this summer.

According to the research, Rangers and the Pro League team were scheduled to fight for the defender’s signature in this transfer season.

Voetbal Nieuws have been offering a fresh report on the linkages, and shockingly, it seems that Royal Antwerp, not Rangers, is the destination, which is edging closer.

After negotiating a contract for Argentine left-sided Independiente defender Ayrton Costa, Antwerp is now said to be closing in on a double South American swoop.

With the Great Old looking to improve the left-back area of their team ahead of the new season, the circumstances involving Chilean center-back Thomas Galdames is a little more complicated.

Rangers’ interest in Galdames allegedly “cooled” with Antwerp in pole position to seize “advantage” from the circumstances.

Voetbal Nieuws estimates a deal to bring Galdames to Belgium is currently very much in the “pipeline,” even with Rangers perhaps absent from the scene.

Summer of left-back instability for Rangers

Although Thomas Galdames has a good profile, Rangers already want to have moved elsewhere.

After Borna Barisic left for Trabzonspor, the club brought Brazilian left-back Jefte to their ranks this summer.

Turkish variantRidvan Yilmaz is also expected to remain at Rangers next season despite connections to recently promoted Bundesliga team St Pauli.

Along with the defender enticed to move from AC Milan with the lure of first-team play, Rangers have included gifted left-sided centre-back Clinton Nsiala, 20, to their roster.

Another choice in the post and on a reasonable salary is Ben Davies, who has clearly been advised to leave the club.

Rangers are therefore at least well-stocked on the left-side of defence, and Thomas Galdames would have fierce competition to break through into the lineup.

Simultaneously, perhaps the club would rue a missed opportunity to acquire the Chilean if the defender moves to Antwerp and Rangers experiences more turbulence in this area of the team.

Rangers are in the middle of a power struggle, as Hotline punters can tell. Bennett and Clement have different ideas about one thing

Anthony Evans took your calls while some Hotline bettors were happy about England’s painful loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

Even though Scotland’s Euro 2024 bid didn’t go as planned, a lot of people in the country were in the mood to party on Sunday night after seeing England lose again on the big stage.

Spain beat England 2-1, which was a fair result. Mikel Oyarzabal scored the game-winning goal four minutes from time, after Cole Palmer had cancelled out Nico Williams’ opening goal. It was England’s second straight loss in a European Championship final under Gareth Southgate, and people on the hotline wanted to pick on the unhappy team.

Someone from Rothesay named Jim McClean said, “It’s coming home. Sorry, England is coming home.” They got what they earned for how they played defence, thank God, Sir Gareth Southgate.Someone in London named Alfie Mullin agreed and said, “Well done, Spain.” “Hopefully that will shut up the cocky England fans until at least the next tournament,” said Wullie Graham from Bristol. “England’s cocky arrogance comes back to bite them once more,” he added. They still have tears on their faces from sadness, but Messrs. Lineker and Shearer are telling us they will win the next World Cup.

“Their problem is that they have good players but not a good team.” Spain deserved to win because they were so fun to watch the whole time. It would have been over before halftime for Spain if Pedri and Gavi had been available.

But some people who called the Hotline were surprised by how happy Scotland was about what happened in Berlin. In Newtonhill, Gary Stevenson said, “To all the Scots who tried to ruin the Euros Final, how embarrassing! Some of you even refused to watch it.” What do you think? Will they keep that ban in place and not watch the English Premiership? People thought Scotland was the worst team in the competition, which was an embarrassment. Be polite and don’t make them feel even worse by being rude.

The people of Scotland have kids who wear Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Manchester City shirts. I don’t get why the so-called Scotland fans hate everything English. They can’t wait for the next Super Sunday to watch the English Premier League. I could be wrong, and thousands of Scots will cancel their contracts. England and then going home to watch them every week! That’s so embarrassing.”

On Sunday, however, Scotland had a real reason to celebrate: Bob MacIntyre, a golfer from Oban, beat Adam Scott to win the Scottish Open with a stunning showing in North Berwick. For some Hotline callers, this was the perfect end to a dream weekend.

While William Hutchison in Aberdeen said, “Seems England have a different view of ‘IT’S COMING HOME’….WELL DONE TO SCOTS (YUP SCOTS) Bob MacIntyre for lifting the golf tournament trophy at TROON…” Scott Gowers in Edinburgh said, “Congratulations to Spain (Euro’s) and Robert McIntyre (Scottish Open) for their well-deserved wins over the weekend.”

Bob MacIntyre holds aloft the trophy

People were also talking about the ongoing mess at Rangers over the availability of Ibrox. One fan demanded that the club be put up for sale right away.Stephen Johnstone of Ardentinny said, “The mess at Ibrox Stadium: players’ contracts are being looked at, the board is split up, and the manager is going on and on.” Now that this government is in charge, is it time to sell the whole club before the bailiffs show up? It was thrown to the ground. Sir John Lawrence would be very angry.

Northampton’s Michael Emonds has also doubts about Philippe Clement’s claim that every player will be sold for the right price as Gers manager. “Could there be a power struggle at Ibrox?” he asked. Big Phil says that every player has a price, and he thinks that custodian Jack Butland is worth £30 million.

“I wonder what chairman John Bennett would do if, say, a £10 million offer came in for Butland. Could we see the chairman going against the group?” I believe Big Phil’s comments about the goalie and the broken vows he made in his job interview about having money to buy players are the first steps of him “working his ticket.”

But Fraserburgh’s Andrew Lamb then pushed back against the bad press about the Belgian boss. He said, “I’m disappointed by all the bad news about Rangers, but it’s all coming from spoiled brats who are so negative.” We won’t be able to judge Clement until after at least a full season.

Rangers to accepts £2m offer – Ibrox Sources

Sam Lammers “doesn’t figure” in the upcoming season’s plans for the Rangers.

Pete O’Rourke, a senior writer for Football Insider, expressed this opinion regarding Lammers’ future at Ibrox Stadium in an interview with the podcast Inside Track.

The 27-year-old was cut by Philippe Clement during the preseason and was sent to the Rangers B club this summer.

It’s an indication of the manager of the Gers’ perspective on the forward, leaving him uncertain about his future in the game.

Although a permanent agreement between the two clubs could not be reached, Lammers spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Utrecht.

The Scottish team is now hoping to make money off of the Dutch forward this summer as Clement has decided not to keep him in the lineup going forward.

Rangers will likely incur losses due to Sam Lammers.

Rangers paid £3.5 million to acquire Lammers from Atalanta at first, but sources claim they won’t recoup their investment.

Rather, the Gers will cut Lammers loose from the books this summer for a cost of £2 million.

The attacker demonstrated his abilities last season while playing for Utrecht, tallying 10 goals and dishing out three assists.

After those Eredivisie performances, sources say Holland would be interested in him, but the player’s future is still unknown.

But with everything going on at Ibrox Stadium, these are equally unsettling times for Rangers as a team.

According to Football Insider, the Gers will now open the season at Hampden Park because their home pitch is still under construction after delays in shipments.

Chris Jack provides an update on Diomande’s injury, following Rangers’ preseason matchup with Standard Liege

Chris Jack reports that Mohamed Diomande, a midfielder for Rangers, is “fine” and has resumed training despite initial concerns that he may have injured himself.

On Wednesday, July 10, the 22-year-old played the first half of the Light Blues’ preseason match against Standard Liege. After going down, he received some treatment, which raised some eyebrows.

Jack, a journalist for Rangers Review, is adamant that the midfield player is injury-free and that he was able to go through the rehabilitation process and do interviews without any more problems.

On July 11, at 19:30, he made the following statement on The Rangers Review YouTube channel: “The only injury doubt or concern, I spoke to Joshua about yesterday, was Mohamed Diomande.”

“I brought up the fact that he left the game and was able to walk back to the dressing room after receiving some treatment late in the first half.

He appeared fine when he chatted with a few members of the press earlier for an interview that would be released during the upcoming games. Thankfully, there aren’t any major worries there as he trained and completed the recovery session earlier.

Do Rangers have any plans to make any additions during the summer transfer window?

The fact that one of their more recent arrivals won’t be missing a significant portion of preseason due to injury is at least encouraging news, even though supporters will be unhappy by the dearth of transfer activity surrounding Ibrox at this time.

Diomande made an impression on both fans and analysts during the previous season after moving to Glasgow in January, and now that he has decided to make Scotland his permanent home, there will be expectations that he can continue to improve and achieve new heights.

To receive all of our unique content and the newest transfer news first, subscribe to the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel.

The 23-year-old will need to play a lot of football over the coming months because only Connor Barron has arrived as a replacement in midfield after the departures of Ryan Jack and John Lundstram were confirmed earlier this summer.

With any luck, he can avoid injuries and build on his strong start to the previous campaign to truly take off under Philippe Clement.

Still, he and the supporters will be hoping the Gers add one or two more players to help him.

Kieran Dowell lets out his fury with the Rangers as the midfielder gives a brutally honest assessment of his first Ibrox season

After moving to Govan last summer, Dowell had an injury-plagued campaign and found it difficult to give the Ibrox supporters his all.

The first to acknowledge that the Ibrox supporters didn’t see their greatest side last season was Kieran Dowell. primarily because they hardly ever saw him.

The former playmaker for Norwich was supposed to play a major role in Michael Beale’s plan for a Rangers comeback last summer. Instead, a string of ailments derailed his Glasgow debut campaign, and he barely made it onto the supporting cast in Govan. Throughout a season tinged with frustration, he managed just six starts and ten substitute appearances overall.

There were times when it appeared he was going to make the kind of impact Beale had in mind when he brought the former Carrow Road apprentice north. A goal on Christmas Eve against Motherwell turned out to be the ideal present as new manager Philippe Clement battled a horrific injury list.

He helped the Gers come back from a two-goal deficit in April’s 3-3 Old Firm draw at Ibrox, and his performance off the bench was critical in turning that derby thriller around. However, all of those events turned out to be brief high points in a season that culminated in Celtic defeating Celtic in both the league and the Scottish Cup.

Now, as the Rangers prepare for the upcoming season, Dowell hopes to leave a more profound imprint on the fan base. After Standard Liege’s preseason bounce game, he stated, “I’d like to think there is more to come from me.”

“Last season, I didn’t start many games. It was, I believe, four or five games. Additionally, not many people appeared. They haven’t seen my finest side. In actuality, they haven’t seen much of me.

“Perhaps they succeed in the upcoming season. It was just so frustrating, my first year. Really annoying. Being a central midfielder, a position I hadn’t really played before, I was obviously learning a new one. That was because of things like availability, but it was really annoying that injuries occurred in between.

However, I feel better now. I feel rejuvenated, having rested well over the summer, and I’m in peak physical condition right now. I recall beating Motherwell, things were going great, and then I took another hit. That’s football for you, though, is how it happened.

You may pout all you want about it, but it happened, and now that it’s over, I feel strong once more. What can I rely on during those times? Everybody in the club. These guys are excellent at keeping you in your place. They will either put you down if you’re getting ahead of yourself or encourage you to keep going if you’re not. That set of guys is excellent for that. Of course, my friends and family also provided a lot of assistance.

After that thrilling match, Dowell left the ground with Celtic thinking he had saved the Green Bay Packers from a jail sentence. His club had trailed the team led by Brendan Rodgers by two goals on both occasions before rallying behind goals from Abdullah Sima and a Rabbi Matondo scream.

The next week, he was rewarded for his efforts with an unusual start at Ross County. However, the Dingwall loss had far-reaching effects beyond Rangers’ hopes of winning the league.

Rangers’ Kieran Dowell scores against Livingstom (Image: PA)

“It was clearly a difficult day for every player on the pitch,” he remarked. Although I started the game, I don’t believe anyone else played particularly well that day. That causes you to suffer in the end, but that’s the nature of football. The only thing left to do after being kicked off the team is to continue training and working hard.

The depressing atmosphere that pervaded Ibrox at the close of the previous season has hardly subsided, and new controversy has arisen after it was revealed Clement’s team may need to leave Ibrox for several weeks due to a building error on the Copland Road.

All of that has increased the pressure on the Light Blues as they attempt to strike a balance between their two very important goals—qualifying for the Champions League and getting a head start in the Premiership. Even though Dowell has only been in Glasgow for a year, it’s enough time to realise that if either of those goals is compromised, there will be a massive meltdown. However, he has also learnt from the previous season how crucial it is to avoid exaggerating a small setback.

The most important lesson, he continued, is to understand that we are never truly done. Everyone believes it’s finished after our disappointing start to the season and the departure of the manager who signed me. It appears to be finished when you see the Press, but it wasn’t.

By season’s end, it was back in our possession. As a result, you never know when to give up. Should we aim for a quicker start this season?

“Ideally no, but even in that case, you’re still in it. In my first season, I guess I thought we were done, but we weren’t. Of course you want to get off to a quick start, but the season is lengthy.

Dowell checked in last summer as one of nine new additions. Clement is making sure he assists the summer recruits in settling in. He has added five this time so far, but more are planned.

“I always try to welcome the new lads,” he remarked. It’s a fantastic organisation for that kind of activity, I believe. Many boys have recently joined, and it’s encouraging to see everyone putting in a lot of effort on the pitch.

“After taking a quick break and cleaning up, the guys are back on track and ready to go after it. For this club, every season is undoubtedly crucial, but maybe we can succeed.

Even though Clement wasn’t the one who signed him, Dowell is content with the tight relationship he has with his Belgian manager right now. Regarding the positive indicators he observes in his relationship with Clement, he remarked, “I believe it is the quantity of times he uses me.

“He is an excellent trainer who provides you with a lot of assistance. I’ve learned a lot from him about assuming new positions as a centre midfielder. I’m glad he’s already added a couple strings to my bow. He pushes you to try new things and wants you to play. He’s an effective manager.

£3.5 million release clause surfaces as Rangers in advanced negotiations for a new acquisition claims

To surpass Fenerbahce to his signature, Rangers will have to pay Adama Traore’s £3.5 million release clause, according to AfricaFoot.

Writing on their website (7 July), the news source notes that the Mali winger has been in “advanced talks” [AfricaFoot, 26 May], but now Jose Mourinho’s team presents fierce competition.

According to reports, the 29-year-old has a release clause in his contract and Ferencvaros are ready to sell to the best bidder, so Philippe Clement might have to approve paying the whole price.

Rangers still need attacking choices at Ibrox until 2024/25.

With six players now confirmed as fresh team members, Clement and Rangers have been somewhat busy in the summer window.

Although Jefte, Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Liam Kelly, Hamza Igamane, Oscar Cortes have already put pen to paper, the squad is nowhere near as strong as it should be when the season opens next month.

Attack is an area that particularly requires additions with the future of Cyriel Dessers up in the air [Chris Jack, 3 July], Sam Lammers most likely to leave and significant questions regarding Todd Cantwell [The Sun, 20 June], Scott Wright and Tom Lawrence also.

Philippe Clement is likely to be frustrated at Rangers

Traore would bring experience to the team and having won medals in the past, it may well be the kind of signing required to support a youthful squad along in a race.

However, Rangers will have to act fast or miss another target this summer since Mourinho is now definitely in the battle for his signature.

Clement’s must-have goals, the latest on transfers, and his choices for strikers – Chris Jack Talks About It

Rangers are one week closer to being able to play again now that another week of summer is over.Philippe Clement’s team will spend the next few days at a training camp in Holland as they ramp up their preparations for the new season. Soon, they will have a lot of games to play, so they need to be ready to go right away.

Recently, the deal for Hamza Igamane has been the main topic of conversation. There has also been a lot of talk about a move for Kenny McLean. Off the field, fans are still waiting to find out where Clement’s team will play their home games in August.

Ibrox is always busy, even when the week isn’t very busy. Chris Jack takes some questions from readers of Rangers Review here.

Are we planning to put money into younger players and use loans to help them gain experience?

When the manager recently spoke to RangersTV, he talked about the need for experienced players, which is a sign of things to come during the next part of the window. The deals that brought in Jefte, Clinton Nsiala, and Oscar Cortes were made with the long term in mind, but they need to perform this season. Don’t forget that Clement is building up both a team and a group.

The loan market is something that Rangers could use, but those moves are more likely to be the finishing touches than the building blocks. According to the example given, signing McLean would not cost a lot of money but would give the team the experience it needs.

Rangers have a lot going on right now. There will be a mix of short-term and long-term deals, with younger players with promise and older players with experience. This mix is important for Clement because any move he makes will have sports and money effects.

How many players do we need to sign if Dessers leaves?

I think it will be one in and one out. From this week’s Rangers Review, we learned that teams in Saudi Arabia, France, and Spain, along with PAOK, were all interested in Dessers. Fans have different feelings about the striker, but most wouldn’t mind if the £4.5 million fee and his salary were used to buy another forward.

Clement will be careful with Danilo because he just got back to the team after hurting his knee. We don’t know enough about Igamane yet to say whether he will be a big hit right away or whether it will take him some time to get used to Ibrox.

That does give Clement a problem to solve because August is going to be very busy and important. Rangers must get a centre forward with a lot of experience. Since Clement only uses one player in the middle, it would be strange for him to add a fourth choice for that spot. In the last third, it will be up to other people to participate.

Do you believe Danilo has been missed as a No. 10 or second striker?

People were pretty excited when Danilo was signed last summer, and a lot of that energy was fair since a Brazilian forward had just been bought for £6 million. Fans are still interested in Danilo a year later, but this time for a different reason.

As was already said, it would be unfair to expect too much from him too soon. Also, any player who has surgery to repair a cruciate knee ligament and then has to go through the necessary therapy needs to get back in shape. Still, Clement needs Danilo to help out and score some goals this season.

Rangers will put money into the key spot, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if players like Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence left. Danilo was signed as a No. 9, which is what he will do most of the time. Clement shouldn’t move him a little lower; instead, he should make him stronger at No. 10 and then, hopefully, decide who leads the line.

Could they still be sold, even if they are in training camp next week?

There are times when it’s easier to just let people go. During the window, a lot of names have been thrown around as possible exits, but nothing is certain until there is money and contracts on the table. Things do need to move a little faster, though.

Rangers can’t play with a big team. In terms of football or money, it doesn’t make sense, and Clement won’t want players who aren’t in his plans to stay in the locker room for too long.

Supporters shouldn’t worry too much about who is going to Holland yet because the window is still pretty open. Things can happen very quickly, and players and managers can make things happen when they recognise what is going on. Going on the plane doesn’t mean you’ll be in the group when the window ends.

Are we going to get a right center-back?

This part of the team still has a lot of work to do. According to the Rangers Review, the deal for Jose Cordoba fell through a few weeks ago. Nsiala is the only centre back that has been signed so far. Since there are a lot of people in that spot, that might not be a surprise.

It was easy to deal with Leon Balogun, and he meets a lot of criteria, but he is not a normal starter. If the right deal comes in, the club will sell Connor Goldson. Ben Davies and Leon King also look like they are not needed by the team. At least one person has to come in if three leave.

John Souttar didn’t have a great season, but he did well overall and will try to win that spot in the position where he is most comfortable. Many people were wondering why he was so reliable when it came to selection last season. However, he is not promised a jersey because a right-sided recruit is expected to arrive.

What do you think makes a player experienced? Someone between the ages of 24 and 26 who has played a few seasons or someone over 30? Or maybe someone who has played X number of first-team games at a good level since they made their start when they were young?

As the time has gone on at Ibrox, the experience factor has become more important. It makes sense when you look at the backgrounds of some of the candidates. Cortes has only played a few games in a blue shirt and Nsiala hasn’t played a first team game. Jefte has also not played at this level before. Igamane is an unknown quantity and can’t be judged on paper, as was said above.

In general, I don’t think people should care too much about how old a recruit is. A player can get the skills and information he needs in just a few seasons if he works with good professionals and at a high level.

As long as most of your games don’t come off the bench at the last minute, you should know your way around by the time you’ve played, say, 100 games. In the end, each case must be looked at separately.

What do you think is a reasonable goal for the coming season, given how many changes are being made to the team and how little money we have for what is basically a complete rebuild? Do you think Clement will get the same amount of time as Gerrard for it?

Rangers will not give up on winning the Premiership title. It will always be that way. People think that a season is a failure if the trophies are not at Ibrox at the end of it. Even if the Scottish Cup had been won last year, Clement would have been criticised for not being able to lead his team to victory in the top flight.

Things are very different now than they were when Gerrard took over. It would be crazy to keep Clement in charge for a third try at the title if the Rangers fail this time. That might not be fair, given what he walked into. That’s just how things are at Ibrox, though.

Rangers need to stop hiring and firing managers and putting together new teams that don’t do well. The dugout and dressing room need to be stable for the club. That doesn’t mean you should stick with a plan that isn’t working, and this term Clement and these players have a lot to show. No one else will know that better than him.