After a few slow weeks that created more panic than what was required within the Rangers support, Summer transfer business is now well underway at Ibrox.
21/22 is now long gone despite some memories that will live for a long time. The European odyssey last season was a major high against the backdrop of a very disappointing Premiership season that saw the title squandered after the turn of the year.
Thankfully, the season finished on a positive with the essential Scottish Cup victory over Hearts, just hours after the team had returned from Seville.
Two months later sees new optimism with a new campaign on the horizon. Tomorrow night in Albufeira, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will take on Sunderland in the first full practice game of pre-season, in front of a crowd. That fixture will be the culmination of a week’s hard work at The Campus, the luxury resort at Quinta Do Lago, Albufeira.
Three new faces are now part of the Rangers first team squad and they will all be contenders to be regulars. John Souttar, Antonio Colak and the latest arrival, Tom Lawrence are welcome newcomers to add more quality, consistency and choices to the manager.
It will also be essential that they bring a hunger to win, in order to propel their careers at Ibrox.
More arrivals are expected, as intimated by the manager when he told Sky Sports yesterday:
“Last season is over, we’re now looking ahead into the new season. We are very focused and prepared for the next season ahead,”
“And, of course, we still expect some new players coming in.”
➡️Colak deal 'very close'
⬅️Aribo wanted PL move
🏆Excited for the title race
🌍Preparing for CL qualifiers
📝In talks with Kent, Morelos & more
🤝Working with Ross Wilson over signingsAll the latest from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Portugal. Thoughts, Rangers fans?👇 pic.twitter.com/VLWH3BWLbH
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) July 7, 2022
Four players are already confirmed to have left the club – Andy Firth, Leon Balogun, Jake Hastie, Cedric Itten.
Joe Aribo will imminently seal a move to the Premier League, as acknowledged by the manager. As a key part of the first team, the Nigerian international will need to be ‘replaced’ as would any other significant departures.
Others such as Niko Katic, Jack Simpson and Glenn Middleton appear to be surplus to requirements, but as fringe players their exit would be a case of trimming the squad.
Rangers business is not finished yet with the right-wing position being an obvious priority – will this spot be filled before or after the Champions League status is known? Qualifying for the group stages of Europe’s primary tournament would be a game changer in terms of the type of player available, but that also has to be kept in context with the overall budget and wage structure at Ibrox.
There is more to come from the revolving door during this transfer window and over the next fortnight, that is for sure.