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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Robbie Copeland

5 transfer moves Rangers could still make as potential Champions League gamechanger looms

What seemed like a painstakingly slow window for Rangers has exploded into life over the last couple of weeks with a flurry of new signings. The arrival of Antonio Colak burst the seal and in the three weeks since, Gio van Bronckhorst has seen five players arrive and two leave - with more than £45million changing hands in the process.

His squad is starting to take shape but with the dawn of the Premiership season just around the corner, there is still plenty of work in the transfer market for the club to get stuck into. There's also a chunk of that Calvin Bassey cash left to burn, with the pot set to deepen further should they qualify for the Champions League.

There will almost certainly be more outgoings too. They may not be as high-profile or as profitable as the big-money deals that took Bassey to Ajax and Joe Aribo to Southampton, but the squad is looking bloated in some positions, while a few hangers-on who barely kicked a ball last season will be on the hunt for new clubs.

(PA)

So, what sort of business will Rangers be looking to do before the window closes come September? Record Sport have you covered.

Depth up top

Starting with the sexy stuff, Rangers have already added a new hitman in Antonio Colak who has made an impression in pre-season. But there are rumblings Van Bronckhorst still isn't happy with his options at the top end of the pitch, especially with Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe both injured ahead of Saturday's league opener at Livingston.

Patrick Cutrone, still at Wolves despite the Premier League side's best efforts to move him on, has been linked and that seems like a no smoke without fire rumour given it is coming from the major Italian papers. A cheaper, less high-profile option does seem more likely however - perhaps a younger player with room to grow as Morelos, Roofe and Colak are all in their prime.

Low-risk loans with an option to buy seem to be the way forward when Rangers go looking for squad depth. Another deal along the same lines as James Sands and Malik Tillman could be just the ticket.

Yilmaz 2.0

The process of regenerating the midfield has already begun as Van Bronckhorst looks to life beyond his dependable stalwarts Steven Davis and Scott Arfield. It's likely that Alex Lowry will transition into a senior role in the coming months and years, while Malik Tillman arrives on loan and will be signed permanently should he impress.

But there are rumblings that the club are eyeing one more youthful midfielder to keep the process going and reports in Turkey suggest that Kartal Yilmaz, a former teammate of Ridvan's although unrelated, is on the agenda. He's very much one for the future, but impressed on loan at Umraniyespor last season, and is thought to be available for less than £1million.

Kartal Yilmaz (Getty Images)

Whether or not they do opt for a second Besiktas raid, though, it stands to reason that another young midfielder would be near the top of the to-do list in terms of incomings.

Loan out the fringe men

Youngsters such as Adam Devine and Leon King have been given their chance in pre-season but minutes may be hard to come by when the squad is fully fit and the competitive action is underway. Ridvan Yilmaz will drastically reduce chances at left-back while six other new signings, with only two substantial first-team departures so far, mean it will be more competitive than ever.

Josh McPake has already got the ball rolling by joining Queen's Park on loan and he could be followed out by other stars who find themselves on the fringes and could benefit from playing regular football. We know Alex Lowry will be kept around and is expected to have a big season, but Glenn Middleton is on the way out after a feee was agreed with Dundee United. Stephen Kelly also looks set to move on again after impressing in England last season.

Cover for Tav

If there's one player Rangers cannot afford to get injured, it's skipper James Tavernier. He's the almighty influence in all areas of the pitch, with his logic-defying goalscoring exploits only the tip of the iceberg as far as his importance to the team goes.

And it may be just as well that he's such a reliable figure, as the backup options beyond him are scarce. Mateusz Zukowski appears to be the long-term succession plan, but he wasn't fancied for much football last season - he's yet to make his league debut - and you can't imagine Van Bronckhorst would want to heap too much pressure onto his shoulders should Tavernier succumb to an injury.

A steady plan B to bridge the gap, and perhaps allow Zukowski to head out on loan and pick up some experience, would make sense. Convincing a player of the standard required to come to the club and virtually never play while the skipper is available, though, is easier said than done.

Refine the back line

One position where there will certainly need to be outgoing movement is at centre-back. Even despite Leon Balogun's departure on a free, which came as a mild surprise, it's a position where the squad is well-stacked.

Connor Goldson is near immovable, while John Souttar and new man Ben Davies have really strengthened the field. Niko Katic is also back and Filip Helander won't be giving up his spot in the squad without a fight.

Jack Simpson was already out of favour and he just appears to be biding time before moving on - although he still has two years to run on his contract. Then there's promising youngster Leon King. He has time on his side and a loan move to another Premiership team where he can rack up some minutes might be on the agenda.

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