The proposed Rangers 24/25 as per transfer links makes for very nervous reading indeed

There will be change at Rangers this transfer window.

Our fearless leader Philippe Clement has already told us as much.

But the question on everyone’s lips at Rangers is just how much change is required to turn this team from chumps to champions?

With six players out of contract, patience wearing thin amongst the fans, and a non-existent player trading model ensuring the club’s transfer engine is running on fumes, it’s all a little up in the air.

But never fear!

In one of those articles which might look pretty damn foolish in a couple of days, never mind weeks, we’ve decided to look at how the Rangers squad might shape up come September 1st.

And we’ve got to say, as frustrated as Rangers fans might be at the moment, the chatter surrounding moves in and out the club doesn’t exactly contribute to a positive outcome.

Rangers linked with eight new signings

There are no fewer than eight players being prominently targeted by Rangers in the press.

Leading journalist Chris Jack has previously claimed as many as a dozen footballers could be coming into the club this summer.

If that’s on top of loan targets Abdallah Sima and Oscar Cortes, then we make it 14 in total.

But with the eight names we’ve got we’re not entirely convinced we’re going from a position of weakness to a position of strength.

In the unlikely event that every serious transfer link so far is actually followed through, Rangers will add Liam Kelly (Motherwell), Jefte (Fluminense), Thomas Galdames (Godoy Cruz), Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates), Adama Traore (Ferencvaros), Abdallah Sima (Brighton), Oscar Cortes (RC Lens), and Albion Rrahmani (Rapid Bucharest) to their squad this summer.

Eight could also reportedly quit Rangers

All this transfer activity is likely to follow a string of high profile exits.

Now, just how radical Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen go here is still to be defined but one thing is clear.

Rangers fans are sick and tired of falling short in the fight with Celtic and are eager for symbolic change.

With Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe heading out the Ibrox exit door, wages are to be freed up and big decisions are to be taken.

Ryan Jack and Leon Balogun are also out of contract, with the Nigerian reportedly offered a new deal, whilst Jon McLaughlin will leave the club this summer.

Other names who are confirmed include Portuguese wide man Fabio Silva, who couldn’t change his social media quick enough after leaving Rangers.

There is also a high profile discussion being had over Saudi links to Rangers leadership duo James Tavernier and Connor Goldson.

For the purposes of this particular experiment, let’s assume they leave.

Proposed Rangers squad for 24/25

GK: Jack Butland, Liam Kelly, Kieran Wright

DR: Dujon Sterling, Adam Devine

DL: Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte

DCR: John Souttar, Leon Balogun

DCL: Thomas Galdames, Ben Davies, Leon King

CM/DM: Nico Raskin, Mohamed Diomande

CM/AM: Kieran Dowell, Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence, Relebohile Mofokeng

RW: Adama Traore, Ross McCausland, Scott Wright

LW: Abdallah Sima, Oscar Cortes

ST: Danilo, Albion Rrahmani, Cyriel Dessers

Transfer conundrum for Clement

There are a couple of big issues we see with this proposed squad as things stand.

Firstly, the exits of Ryan Jack and John Lundstram in particular leave gaping holes in midfield.

Whilst Jack has been consistently battling injury, John Lundstram played a quite ridiculous 53 games for the club this season and we may need two players to replace him.

Say what you like about the Scouser, but we’ve shot ourselves firmly in the foot with how we’ve handled Lundstram’s contract situation.

No wonder Clement is not happy.

A Lundstram exit suggests that even if we sign the players we’ve been linked to then we still need to add substantial experience, quality, and athleticism to the middle of the park.

On top of that, the notion that both Connor Goldson and James Tavernier could leave the club alongside Jack and Lundstram this summer feels detrimental to our cause.

It sucks a huge amount of experience out of the dressing room and I don’t believe it’s a good move for Rangers.

There is also distinct lack of quality homegrown options in the proposed squad, with Liam Kelly, John Souttar and Scott Wright representing the only senior homegrown players.

That’s with Academy products Adam Devine, Leon King and Ross McCausland in the team.

We expect Rangers will have some experienced homegrown options in mind ahead of the summer transfer window.

Like we say, the links and the names could change in an instant; just look at the situation with Jose Cordoba.

But can you honestly say with any confidence and conviction that if this is the bulk of our squad next season, we can go on and reclaim the league title?

Clement was right; he really does have ‘quite a rebuild’ on his hands.