This season has been far from straightforward for Philippe Clement after a summer of cost-cutting at Rangers.
The Ibrox squad was ripped apart as the Belgian and Nils Koppen overhauled the playing pool and ushered in a new era for the club – but the pair have faced plenty of criticism in the wake of their recruitment drive. While there have been hits like Hamza Igamane and Jefte, the likes of Robin Propper and Nedim Bajrami have yet to totally win over the Rangers’ support – while the re-signing of Oscar Cortes has yet to impress the diehards.
But how different could things have been? There were plenty of close calls for the club as they attempted to pull off some savvy manoeuvres in the market despite the financial constraints. But how are those who came close to lofting a Rangers scarf above fairing now? Record Sport takes a look.
Albion Rrahmani
The striker was attracting interest from across Europe with Rangers among the chasing pack as he weighed up his future away from Rapid Bucharest. In the end, the 24-year-old opted to roll the dice in the Czech league as he signed for Sparta Prague.
The frontman has netted seven goals so far this season – including two in his last two – and has gone on to rack up minutes in the Champions League. Another big move could be on the cards in the future.
Jose Cordoba
The Panama defender turned down the chance to join Rangers in favour of trying his luck south of the border as he put pen to paper with Norwich City. The 23-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot in the English Championship this term – with boss Johannes Hoff Thorup admitting frustration at the number of “smaller injuries” the centre-back has picked up.
Thomas Galdames
Following the snub from Cordoba, Rangers turned their attention to Chilean defender Thomas Galdames.. However, he would opt for a switch to Russia as he brought the curtain down on his Godoy Cruz career in a £3m move. He has impressed for Kryliya Sovetov – netting three times from a left-back role as he racked up 10 starts before the league went into cold storage this winter.
Damian Garcia
Damian Garcia was originally going to be out of contract at the end of 2024 – until he extended his deal with Penarol to December 2026 and closed the door on a move to Glasgow. Since then he has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot in the line-up – and has at times failed to even make the match day squad for the Uruguayan league leaders. Reports in South America suggest a £3.2m move to Mexican side Toulca is on the cards this month.
Harry Souttar
The defender had been closing in on a loan move to the club from Leicester City during the Michael Beale era before a collapse of the deal – and interest appeared to have been revived last summer, especially after the Socceroo was pictured in a retro Rangers top.
But rather than Ibrox, he would head for Bramall Lane in a temporary switch to Sheffield United. The 26-year-old was first-choice at the back for the Blades – but an Achilles tendon injury has brought his season to an early end.
Tommy Conway
Rangers were keen on a deal for Tommy Conway – if he ran down the final 12 months of his Bristol City contract. The 20-year-old could have moved for as little as £300,000 in cross-border compensation – but he would leave City to pen a four-year-deal with Middlesborough. He has led the line for Boro this season – netting eight goals so far as the club push for the promotion play-off spots under Michael Carrick.
Morgan Whittaker
Rangers revived their long-standing interest in Morgan Whittaker last summer as they looked to bring the striker from Plymouth Argyle. However, The Pilgrims stood firm and kept the striker at Home Park – and have been rewarded with four goals from the frontman. The 24-year-old has been the top performer for Plymouth this season – despite the club sitting rock bottom of the Championship. Reports south of the border suggest the club are holding out for a whopping £10m fee with Burnley and Hull City said to be showing interest.