It certainly did not come as a surprise when the official announcement came last week. But, still, the confirmation that five first-team players would be on their way out of Ibrox when their contracts expire offered a reminder about the size of the task facing Rangers during another busy summer on the blue side of Glasgow.
Midfield additions feel particularly necessary.
In Ryan Jack, Rangers are bidding farewell to one of their most experienced and long-serving players. Signed from Aberdeen seven years ago, Jack may have missed large portions of the 2023/24 campaign through injury but he was still a massive presence off the pitch. And, when available, on it too.
The departure of John Lundstram, meanwhile, robs Rangers of a man who made 52 appearances last season alone. Though his form dipped at times after Christmas, Lundstram was one of the first names on Philippe Clement’s team sheet.
The Belgian’s go-to tempo-setting, beat-laying orchestrator of play.
Rangers must replace Ryan Jack and John Lundstram
There will, therefore, be plenty of pressure on the still-broadening shoulders of young Damian Garcia if the Uruguayan is brought in as part of Rangers’ midfield rebuild.
Still only 20, a decade Jack and Lundstram’s junior, Garcia feels like a very Philippe Clement, Niks Koppen era signing; the Rangers chiefs prioritising promise over proof, exuberance over experience, and casting their net far and wide in pursuit of bargains.
Garcia only made his first-team debut at Penarol in 2023. But, such is the development over the last 12 months, Garcia is now a regular starter at one of Uruguay’s biggest clubs.
An imposing physical presence already, the 2023 Under-23 World Cup winner is a very modern type of midfielder. Agile yet aggressive, Garcia likes to pick up the ball from centre-halves and start attacks from deep, fizzing passes out wide and dancing around a high press with his turn of pace.
He likes a tackle, too. An impressively well-rounded skill-set – at the age of only 20 – should make the silky South American a good bet to step into the void created by the exits of Jack and Lundstram, presuming he can adapt to the pace of Scottish football.
Damian Garcia has been a revelation at Penarol
“My role at Penarol is to help my team-mates improve,” veteran forward – and one-time Hull City, Southampton and Middlesbrough ace – Gaston Ramirez tells Sport890.
“Damian Garcia is my youngster. I try to help him. We share a room, I talk to him a lot. Damian has changed a lot from January to now.
“Damian’s growth this last period, showing how important he is to us, shows that he and the team are working well. His quality is demonstrated game by game.”
Garcia’s contract at Penarol expires at the end of 2024. Earlier this week, he indicated that he would like to stay and help a league leading Penarol side secure the Uruguayan title, but an offer from Rangers before he enters free-agency may be impossible to turn down.
