It’s easy to assume that Glasgow Rangers’ season didn’t quite go as planned over the last few weeks of 2023–2024. The Ibrox team not only lost the Premiership title challenge, but they also experienced heartbreak in the Scottish Cup final.
Celtic emerged victorious in both instances. Even if it’s evident that Philippe Clement turned the Rangers around from a crisis in October of last year, he still has a lot of work ahead of him to make Rangers the top team in the nation.
This summer’s transactions and acquisitions of players will serve as his yardstick. He has started preseason training well in both of these categories, with the start of the season on Monday.
Not only have five players been released, which has freed up a sizeable portion of the salary money, but five players have already arrived at Ibrox, and there will be many more.
| Rangers summer signings so far | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Age | Club joined from |
| Mohamed Diomande | 22 | Nordsjaelland |
| Hamza Igamane | 21 | AS FAR |
| Connor Barron | 21 | Aberdeen |
| Oscar Cortes | 20 | RC Lens |
| Jefte | 20 | Fluminense |
| Clinton Nsiala | 20 | AC Milan |
It’s evident that the middle, more than any other area of the game, requires work. Is this the position Clement wants to target one of his future signings?
International player from Mexico is of interest to the Rangers.
As Clement looks to turn the team’s fortunes around in the transfer market, there have been plenty of ties to bright players this summer, but some are more intriguing than others.
The Mexican midfielder Andres Montano has been connected to a move to Glasgow in recent weeks, and he undoubtedly has a promising career ahead of him.
| Mexican players to make an appearance for Rangers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Year joined | Games | Goals |
| Carlos Pena | 2017 | 14 | 5 |
| Eduardo Herrera | 2017 | 24 | 2 |
| Via Transfermarkt | |||
The best part is, Montano will only cost around £1m should Clement take his initial interest further, giving the Belgian the chance to secure a highly-rated talent for peanuts.
Rafael Guillen, agent for El Cielo Management, discussed his client and the need for a move to Europe, saying:
“We think that Andres could easily play without problems for Celtic, or for Rangers, because of our relationship with them, but they are not the only ones. Celtic and Rangers have a lot of quality. The English Premier League is the number one league in the world and we already have Edson Alvarez and Raul Jimenez as Mexicans there.
“The Scottish League would be the best bridge for him it has a lower level that would allow Andres to play more often.”
It is perhaps a lower level than some other European leagues, but if Montano was to sign for Rangers, he could have the opportunity to play in the Champions League should the Light Blues qualify.
One of Caixinha’s signings struggled majorly at Ibrox and scored just five times in 14 games.
Performances on the continental stage would boost his profile significantly, thus allowing Clement and Co the chance to secure a major profit on the midfielder.
Until then, however, the current Mazatlan starlet could form a wonderful duo with another rising talent at Rangers – Mohamed Diomande
Mohamed Diomande’s season in numbers for Rangers
Clement signed the Ivorian on a six-month loan deal with an obligation to buy in January. Six months on, it looks like a wise decision indeed.
The 22-year-old added some athleticism to the heart of the midfield, slotting in alongside the more robust John Lundstram, and he took to Scottish football with ease.
In his first four league games for the team, he scored twice, and his inclusion in the starting lineup energised a midfield that had been lacking since the beginning of the year.
The midfielder showed that he was a valuable player when he had the ball in the opposition half in addition to displaying his defensive abilities when Rangers did not have the ball. He ranked tenth for shots per game (1.7), eighth for key passes per game (1.5), and fifth for tackles per game (1.5) in comparison to his teammates in the Premiership last season.
| Diomande’s 2023/24 Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Matches | 13 |
| Accurate passes per game | 27.5 (82%) |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Key passes per game | 1.5 |
| Shots per game | 1.7 |
| Tackles per game | 1.5 |
| Total duels won per game | 3.8 (52%) |
| Via Sofascore | |
Diomande will be essential to the Light Blues’ success in the upcoming campaign. In addition to strengthening the midfield, Montano’s addition would enable Clement to establish a reliable combination in the centre of the pitch.
What Rangers may gain from Andres Montano
Montano possesses a distinct skill set compared to Diomande, who excels at making crucial passes and stopping opponents from breaking through the centre of the pitch.
For instance, in just 26 games, he contributed six goals, which is not bad considering that he was frequently used in the centre of the midfield, indicating that he enjoys making runs forward to score or set up opportunities for teammates.
Furthermore, Montano has amazing dribbling skills. The 22-year-old rates in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.61), the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.02), and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90 (1.94) when compared to his positional counterparts over the preceding 365 days in similar leagues..
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