Every Rangers squad option after transfer deadline day…

Every Rangers squad option after transfer deadline day as solution to Morgan Whittaker near miss hiding in plain sight

When Michael Beale took over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Rangers it appeared like there was plenty of work to do.

The Light Blues were struggling for form and Celtic were in cruise control as they moved towards retaining the Scottish Premiership title. But while Ange Postecoglou's relentless side still hold their nine-point advantage at the top, the signs of improvement are there for fans to see. An unbeaten run since the Londoner stepped into the Ibrox hot seat, they have a Viaplay Cup final to look forward to later this month and could deny Celtic their Treble dream.

The squad also looked like it needed a boost in January, and sporting director Ross Wilson has obliged with the additions of Todd Cantwell from Norwich City and Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin. The rebuild of the squad has started and Beale has admitted any deals that have not got over the line will be pushed to the summer – noting that he hopes to add a centre-back and striker.

After an injury-plagued campaign, John Souttar looks set to finally gets his Rangers career off the ground as ramps up his fitness behind the scenes and show he can fill the vacancy at the heart of the defence. Along with Filip Helander, they will hope to make their first appearance at centre-back of the Beale era in the near future. In defence, Ridvan Yilmaz is also closing in on his return from a hamstring injury.

The Ibrox engine room has received a major upgrade in January with the arrival of Raskin from Belgium, while Cantwell will look to provide the creative spark. Ianis Hagi will also look to compete with Malik Tillman for the playmaker role in the XI as he brings a lengthy spell on the sidelines to an end.

Morgan Whittaker was a top target for Rangers this month, but the club failed to reach an agreement with Swansea City for the winger. However, with Rabbi Matondo set to return from a knee injury he could offer a solution to the transfer near miss.

Matondo has been missing with a knee injury since Beale was appointed and is yet to get a run in the team. He will hope to follow Ryan Kent and Tillman in having their form revitalised by Beale after struggling to impress since his summer arrival.

Attention behind the scenes may be turning to the summer window, but where do Rangers stand? Record Sport takes a deep dive at all the options at Beale's disposal for the remainder of the campaign.