Rangers’ Summer Transfer Window Review

The summer transfer window has slammed shut, and like every other window before it, there’s always room for improvement. But let’s be clear—despite the ups and downs, Rangers made some strategic moves while missing out on others. The lack of Champions League football undoubtedly impacted our budget, forcing the club to be creative in the market. So, how did we fare? Let’s dive into who left and who joined our beloved Rangers this summer.

The Departures: Who Left Ibrox?

Players leaving our club can be a negative or positive thing. Some made a significant impact at the club, others less so. Departure opens up opportunities for other players to make their mark. Here’s a breakdown of the key exits during the window.

Fábio Silva

The Wolves loanee came to Rangers with a big reputation and an even bigger price tag associated with his name. A transfer fee that Wolves are never going to get back given his performances for them and the various loan spells he has made. There were flashes of skill in his play, but he was easily pushed off the ball, went down too easily. Not a player for Scottish football. He returned to Wolves at the end of last season and has since made a move to Las Palmas.

José Cifuentes

Do you remember the comments on José Cifuentes from Rangers previous manager, Michael Beale? He will take Rangers to the next level! Well that did not happen. The player struggled to adapt to live in Scotland and had troubles on and off the pitch by all accounts. He was quickly loaned out during the January transfer window, this was since been cancelled as that was also not working out. This season he will spend the season on loan at Aris Thessaloniki FC in Greece. Originally it was reported there was an obligation to buy in the loan deal, but we don’t believe that is the case. He has scored 1 goal in 2 appearances since making that move. Let’s hope that continues so we can sell him on when his loan comes to an end.

Kieran Wright

The young Scottish goalkeeper was not going to be close to the 1st team so the decision was made to loan him out to Airdrieonians for the season. At 25 it’s important that he games experience at a reasonable level and this seems like a sensible move for the player, Rangers and Airdrieonians.

Todd Cantwell

What a saga that turned out to be, the player handed in a transfer notice to Rangers and was left training alone after reports he refused to play for the B-Team. During his time at Rangers there were signs of the talent that Cantwell had and fans were quick to get behind him when he first arrived.

Unfortunately performances on the pitch were inconsistent, the social media drama was not. There appeared to be friction between Celment and Cantwell, which was denied. Ultimately the more it dragged on the more Rangers fans lost patience with the player.

This transfer was very much needed by the end of the window, so we were delighted to see this one get over the line. The money brought in was very poor. This was likely because of a few things, but the fact the player wanted away, his attitude, track record, we had been very public about him leaving and the ridiculous wages he was earned would have all had an impact on the value we could achieve.

Robby McCrorie

This transfer should have happened last season if we are honest. The then manager appeared to convince the player to stay on the basis that he would get more game time. Then Rangers went on to sign Butland.

We were sad to see McCrorie leave and it felt to us that the options we had in that position have taken a slight step backwards. However there is no doubt that this was the right decision for the player. He made a move to Kilmarnock

Sam Lammers

Things never really worked out for Lammers at Rangers. He became a popular target with fans along with Cyriel Dessers, but unlike Dessers, Lammers never really looked like turning it around.

He made the move to FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie and scored 11 goals in 20 appearances. This form led to several bids for Lammers which Rangers were open to, but most struggled to meet the same salary he was earning at Rangers. Under performing players on high wages have plagued Rangers and are the result of some very poor decisions made my the previous manager and recruitment team.

Getting Lammers off the wage bill and bringing in close to what Rangers paid was very good news. Something that seemed unlikely while he was still at Rangers.

Scott Wright

After several failed transfers away from Rangers every Scott Wright transfer story was almost treated like a meme. The player was not at the level Rangers needed, that’s not news, but for one reason or another he kept finding himself in the Rangers 1st team, much to the frustration of the fans.

He always tried to give his all and the reality is that Wright is a Rangers fan, living a Rangers fans dream by playing for his club. The problem was not so much the player, but rather the club for not managing the situation better. He could impact a game from the bench, but looked lost when starting. Yet time and time again there he was in the starting lineup.

We are really pleased that Wright has made the move during the transfer window. We hope he finds a good place at Birmingham where he can play and enjoy his football, away from the goldfish bowl which is Rangers.

Ben Davies

Scottish football is known for it’s physicality, with teams outside of the Old Firm often going with a defensive block and a big striker up front as their out-ball. It’s not pretty, but it’s effective.

Enter Ben Davies a ball playing defender who has good positioning sense, but lacks physicality. Right from the start this did not appear to be a good fit in Scottish football. Is that the players fault? Not really. To top it all off we make Davies one of the biggest earners at Rangers in order to tempt him north of the border.

His move on loan to Birmingham is positive, though they were unsurprisingly not keen on picking up his large wage commitment, so Rangers are left paying what is rumoured to be 50% of his salary. Very poor business, ridiculous contract and hopefully something we will not see at Rangers again. Our best hope now is that Davies enjoys his football enough he is willing to take a drop in wages or plays well enough that he gets a move willing to meet this commitment while paying Rangers something.

John Lundstram

From the highs of Europa League nights were Rangers fans were singing John Lundstram name to the lows of league defeats to bottom of the table sides it was a rollercoaster. When he first joined Rangers he was mobile and often the engine in the middle of the park. However, those memories had faded and last season he put in some very poor performances for Rangers.

The most frustrating part of his spell at Rangers was being allowed to run down his contract and then leave for free. Rangers must learn that timing is everything in the transfer market and you either move players on while they perform or risk loosing important revenue. Lundstram was brought in to the club on a large contract which left the club unwilling to increase his salary and the player unwilling to sign a new deal. This is one of the poorest transfer dealings in recent times, and once again this is more to do with Rangers, rather than the player.

Borna Barisic

Known for his crossing ability Barisic stayed at Rangers too long and unfortunately will be remembered for how things ended, rather than some of the performances he put in while in his best form. I remember the season where he was going toe to toe with Tav for the first 6 months of the season on goals contributions, he looked amazing.

As confidence appeared to disappear his performances dropped. Where he once got forwarded to get the crosses in, he started to turn back and look for safe passes all the time.

He was another player who the club allowed to run down their contract instead of looking to move on while his profile and performances were good. With another large contract the club were unwilling to extend in order to ensure a transfer fee would be achieved and instead he walked out the door for free.

Connor Goldson

Once a rock at the heart of the Rangers defence Goldson’s age was catching up with him and Rangers has overplayed him leading to a drop in form and the injuries starting to creep in. To Goldson’s credit when it became clear the Rangers manager was not going to play him as often as he perhaps wanted to be played he decided to leave.

He has moved to Aris Limassol to likely play the last couple of years of his career in the sun of Cyprus. He was sold for an undisclosed fee.

Kemar Roofe

Injuries plagued Roofe’s time at Rangers. This was not something new about the player, he had missed a large number of games due to injury before he joined Rangers. He came in on another big contract and over the seasons he spent with Rangers he missed four times the number of games he actually played.

There is no doubt that Roofe was one of the best finishers at Rangers or even in the league when on the pitch. The problem was he was very rarely on the pitch. Poor decision to bring him in on such a big contract when the problems he had were well known.

Ryan Jack

When Ryan Jack was on the pitch Rangers were a better team. His control, calm head and passing range made him a fans favourite. He always talked well about the club, his fellow players and remains well respected within the Scottish game.

In recent years he was plagued by injuries and had started to show the affected of age. If he could have seen off the injuries, despite his age, we are sure he would have been offered a contract extension, but sadly he was unable to do so.

Jon McLaughlin

The back up goalkeeper from last year, Jon was a reasonable option to have on the bench, but was never going to dislodge Butland or McGregor before him. Now 36, it never seemed like Rangers were going to renew his contract. He has recently signed a short term contract for Swansea.

The Arrivals: New Faces at Ibrox

Now, onto the exciting part—our new signings! Given the financial limitations, Rangers had to be shrewd in the market, and there’s a lot to be optimistic about with these arrivals.

Player: Jefté
Position: Left Back
Age: 20
Fee: €800k

The transfer of Jefté to Rangers was originally planned for the January window when we tried to sign the player while he was on loan at APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus from Fluminense. This fell through when APOEL refused to terminate the loan. So when Rangers returned in the summer for the player this was not a surprise.

During pre-season Jefté looked lacking in his defensive duties. However it’s important to note that was just as the player was in the door. Since then he has looked good on the left using his pace and strength to get forward and create chances. He has already put in a couple of man of the match level performances. So we are excited about where Jefté can develop.

Player: Hamza Igamane
Position: Centre Forward
Age: 21
Fee: €2.36m

Igamane arrived at Rangers and almost immediately disappeared from sight. Signed from FAR Rabat for a considerable signing fee for Rangers many fans expected to see this player in pre-season and during the initial stages of the season. That has not been the case.

The Rangers manager and the coaching staff have been making some very positive comments about the player and in recent weeks there has been indications me may be getting closer to making his debut for Rangers.

There was a rumour about him being injured when he arrived which has never been confirmed by the club. They only make references to needing to get his fitness levels up.

Player: Connor Barron
Position: Central Midfield
Age: 21
Fee: Free

For a long time we have wanted to see more talented Scottish players in and around the squad, so when Rangers secured the signing of Connor Barron from Aberdeen this was immediately seen as a positive move.

When he signed our view was that he would be a squad player pushing those in the Rangers first team. However, credit to the player he has came in with a great attitude and work ethic and has earned a 1st team jersey with the performances he has put in. This in our opinion has been the signing of the window, though this could change if more recent arrivals hit the ground running.

He has been putting himself about in the middle of the park, winning his duels, looking to move the ball forward at almost every opportunity and has added a level of control we needed.

Player: Mohamed Diomandé
Position: Central Midfield
Age: 22
Fee: €5m

We have known about Diomandé joining Rangers since he signed last year as it was a loan with a commitment to buy. So, while he been with Rangers for 7 months now, the transfer became official in this window.

Since he started playing for Rangers he has became a 1st team regular and has looked creative and controlled in the middle of the park, able to operate in tight conditions and has an eye for a creative pass and does not shy away from taking a shot at goal. 

Player: Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Position: Right Back
Age: 22
Fee: Loan

Great name, almost everyone in Scotland will be lost in pronouncing it or get it horribly wrong. So, to avoid that from the start let’s go with Nana. This was used in the press conference and works for us.

Signed on transfer deadline day we have not seen this player in action for Rangers. So we are reviewing this player based on stats and clips we have seen. Always dangerous.

While his official position is listed as Right Back, looking at his profile and playing history he has played almost as many games in central defence. He brings pace and strength to the back line. We expect him to play more in the middle of defence, rather than in Tav’s position. However, he provides cover there.

One of the most interesting aspects of this move is what it could allow the manager to do. We anticipate that Sterling will now move primarily into a defensive midfield role now that we have cover at the back. He looks to us to be an upgrade on the players who have left from our defensive line.

Player: Vaclav Cerny
Position: Right Winger
Age: 26
Fee: Loan

We have for a long time been lacking depth on the right wing. Last year moved McCausland from the youth team into the 1st team due to the lack of options and he did OK, but it was too much to ask.

Now Rangers have signed Cerny, an experienced international right winger we have the depth required and he has looked good in spells so far. He featured at the Euros for the Czech Republic so missed pre-season.

Since meeting up with the squad he has been playing reduced minutes and working to get his match fitness up to speed. Over the last few games this appears to be getting there and he has now scored twice and provided an assist.

His pace on the right and ability to go past players is exciting to watch. He likes to cut inside and get shots away, as we have already seen with his two goals so far this season. This looks like a good one.

Player: Liam Kelly
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 28
Fee: Free

We needed a back up with Butland and landing an academy grown player for this role is clever. Last season Rangers played in Europe with a reduced squad because we did not meet the home grown quotas, of which academy grown players carry a greater value.

Signing from Motherwell on a free transfer Kelly had been playing for one of the worst defences in the Scottish Premiership. The chances that they conceded to opposition last year was one of the highest in the league. In the middle of this Liam Kelly was there putting in solid performances and trying to keep Motherwell in games. His save ratio per game was one of the highest.

He is certainly a level or two below Butland, but as a back up goal keeper he is an upgrade on what we had last season.

Window Objectives

The primary objectives for Rangers during this transfer window were clear and strategic. First, the club aimed to reduce the wage burden, which meant offloading underperforming players or those who no longer fit within the new wage structure. This was crucial not only for financial stability but also for creating space to bring in fresh talent.

The secondary objective was to acquiring players who aligned with the manager’s playing style—those who not only fit the tactical blueprint but also had the potential to develop and increase in value over time. These objectives were all about building a squad that’s both competitive and sustainable, ensuring Rangers are well-positioned for future success both on and off the pitch.

Overall Window Rating – 6/10

Taking everything into account, this transfer window has been a mix of smart buys and necessary sales. The disappointment of missing out on Champions League football undoubtedly stung, but the board did well with the resources available. There’s a sense of “what could have been,” especially with a few targets slipping through our fingers, but the squad is stronger than it was.

If we were therefore to give the overall transfer window a score we feel that a score of 6/10 is a reasonable reflection of how the transfer window went.

As we head into the new season, there’s plenty to be optimistic about. The new signings have the potential to make a real impact, and the players who left have given us the financial flexibility to keep building. It’s not the dream window, but it’s a solid one that could lay the foundation for a successful campaign.

Transfer windows always come with a mix of emotions, and this one was no different. While we didn’t get everything we wanted, the club did well under the circumstances. Now it’s up to the players to prove their worth on the pitch and for us fans to get behind them. Here’s to hoping that come May, we’ll be looking back at this window as the start of something special.