Rangers’ summer rebuild could probably have done with going on another couple of weeks.

The Ibrox squad has been revamped under the stewardship of Philippe Clement, Nils Koppen and John Bennett this summer but there remains big questions around the work that’s been done.

And the work that hasn’t.

Several of the club’s most experienced players have moved on, whilst those youthful figures who’ve come in haven’t done enough to convince Rangers supporters of their credentials to date.

The pressure is rising, the scrutiny too, and Rangers manager Clement will soon feel the wrath if he cannot salvage some good feeling from a season careering towards a cliff edge.

But in the final hours of the summer window, with many on the jury already delivering their verdict, could the Ibrox leadership’s salvation have come in the shape of a £3.4m Albanian?

‘Outstanding’ Nedim Bajrami is a ‘big talent’

Rangers fans haven’t had much to cheer about in the last few weeks but excitement over the addition of Nedim Bajrami is certainly building.

The attacking midfielder has been impressing on international duties with Albanian media lauding Bajrami following the nation’s 2-1 win ‘away’ to Ukraine in the Czech Republic.

Now, it’s been the turn of Albania’s Brazilian coach Sylvinho to hail the ‘outstanding’ Nedim and according to the former Arsenal and Barcelona left-back, the Gers have a ‘big talent’ on their hands.

These are comments which are building excitement amongst Rangers fans eager to see what Bajrami can bring to the squad.

“I thought the performance from Nedim Bajrami against Ukraine was outstanding,” Sylvinho said as quoted by the Daily Record. “He is clearly a big talent.

We were very satisfied with Bajrami’s performance, he can play in many roles for us.

“I have noticed that his all-round game has improved. He can do a lot with the ball.

“He helped us produce a really excellent result against a huge nation like Ukraine. We continue to improve and I think that was one of our best results in recent years.”

Rangers have no time to waste with £3.4m playmaker

Most Rangers fans had probably only heard of Nedim Bajrami once before his name started doing the rounds ahead of transfer deadline day.

The 25-year-old is famous for scoring the fastest goal in European Championships history at this summer’s tournament in Germany.

But beyond that, Rangers fans won’t have known much about the Swiss-born Albanian who is – for all intents and purposes – the Ibrox side’s marquee signing this summer.

The Gers signed off on the £4m+ deal to sign Mohamed Diomande in January, whilst the £1.7m spent on Hamza Igamane isn’t expected to see returns till a little further down the line.

Oscar Cortes is another loan-to-buy whose transfer appeal relies on the long-term.

So then it’s Nedim Bajrami, a £3.5m permanent signing (Sky Sports) from freshly relegated Serie B club Sassuolo, who is the club’s marquee addition.

Following last weekend’s disastrous 3-0 defeat to Celtic, Rangers fans are licking their wounds with scant optimism around a new-look team which has so far failed to stand up to any major test.

Out-of-form Hearts held the Gers to a 0-0 draw, the Champions League campaign was laughable for a number of reasons, the less said about Celtic Park the better.

But for a campaign which is promising so little, for the sounds around Nedim Bajrami to be so positive it offers a slither of hope for Rangers fans increasingly devoid of it.

With nothing to lose, fans will hope Philippe Clement wastes no time introducing the playmaker as Tom Lawrence stutters and Todd Cantwell bolts for the exit.

Ianis Hagi is also persona non grata whilst Alex Lowry is so far out of the picture he may as well still be on loan propping up the bench at Hearts.

Rangers are a club in dire need of a boost. They’re also a club who – for a multitude of reasons – have scarce resources.

Whilst Gers fans might’ve not known who Nedim Bajrami was a few weeks ago, it’s an expensive outlay and with the signing comes renewed optimism.

If it it all goes to plan, Bajrami could be the salvation of Rangers’ stuttering early season form.

But the playmaker also has the power to spare the shared reputations of Philippe Clement, Nils Koppen and John Bennett amongst a frustrated Ibrox support.

They’ll all be hoping that we hear the Albanian’s name reverberating around Ibrox when the club finally returns in the coming weeks.

Philippe Clement has Rangers number six solution with ‘heck of a player’

Rangers fans will be hoping that their team can put behind the disappointing defeat at Parkhead with Philippe Clement also hoping to lift some of the pressure on his shoulders.

The manager cut a frustrated figure before and after the Old Firm derby with a squad that still has a couple of gaps despite the late additions of Neysharo Kasanwirjo and Nedim Bajrami.

Clement hinted at possibly looking to utilise the free agent market to sign a number six, however, the Gers boss should look to an academy prospect who needs to be thrown in at the depend.

Time for Rangers to give Bailey Rice his chance

Bailey Rice skippered the Scotland Under-19 side this week whilst his former Motherwell teammate Lennon Miller was with the Under-21s.

That Miller has seen calls for his name to be added to the senior squad shows just how far he has come under Stuart Kettlewell.

The Steelmen’s boss has put his faith in Miller and he has been rewarded handsomely.

He isn’t just one of the best young midfielders in the country, he is one of the best.

When Rangers signed Rice, he was the jewel of Motherwell’s academy, but two years later, only one of them has kicked on.

Barry Ferguson was thrown in at the deepend by Dick Advocaat when he had barely a handful of appearances for the first-team and he embraced the challenge.

There is no way of knowing if Rice is really capable unless he is given a similar opportunity.

Rice is a natural number six, something Philippe Clement doesn’t have in his squad.

What the managers have thought about Rice

Only last year, Michael Beale was predicting big things for the Rangers number 49:

“I’m telling you we have got a heck of a player in Bailey Rice. He is 16, he is not 17 until the end of the month.

“When I introduce him to this madhouse, and my protection of him is important, but I am telling you he is ready.”

Shortly after Clement took over, he was asked about Rice and his development with the young midfelder seemingly disappearing out of first team contention:

“I don’t like to speak too much about individuals but OK I will speak about Bailey (Rice) because he knows.

“He’s for me a really talented player and I think he has a great future in this club but there are also some points we need to work on which are different academy football and the first team, for sure without ball.

“So that’s a really important step to make and he’s going to make that step. If he makes that step then he’s going to be pushing for positions in the first team.”

Rice has been seen on the bench recently and in pre-season so, the young playmaker has maybe taken the advice on board that Clement has given him.

Soon to turn 18, the next few years are pivotal for Rice.

Rangers is unlike most clubs in that there is no easy path to the first team.

Players either thrive on the pressure or they wilt, technical ability rarely has anything to do with it.

Clement doesn’t have to start Rice evey week, but giving him time off the bench in a strong team would allow the manager to see how far away Rice really is from being the player we all hope he could be.

Academy trio duck under Nils Koppen’s swinging Rangers axe despite lack of opportunity

Rangers’ new director of recruitment Nils Koppen had a sizeable job on his hands at Ibrox this summer.

The Belgian transfer guru had only just got his feet under the desk inside the famous old stadium before he was cast into the January transfer market.

But it wasn’t until this summer that much of the work really begun as the axe swung within the Ibrox dressing room and Rangers sought to cut their inflated wage bill.

Come the end of the window, it’s clear Rangers are still short in a number of positions and the jury is very much out as to whether this season’s squad is as good as last season’s underachievers.

But whilst the judgement of Koppen’s window will be made in other departments, come its close the Belgian failed to move on three players for whom opportunity at Rangers seems to have passed.

Opportunity passes for Rangers academy trio

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been very clear that the club must hand more opportunities to their brightest academy talents.

And so far the Belgian has largely stayed true to that promise.

Ross McCausland continues to be a regular feature in the first-team squad, whilst Robbie Fraser and Cole McKinnon have been handed their opportunities by the ex-AS Monaco manager.

But there are three players propping up the Rangers squad who are so far out of the first-team picture it begs the question, why weren’t they moved on this summer?

Leon King is the stand-out name on the list.

The once highly-rated defender has failed to bounce back from that Champions League baptism of fire in 22/23 and has yet to feature under Philippe Clement this season.

League Two Salford City were linked to Leon King as the window prepared to close but a move never transpired and now the 20-year-old faces another season campaign up the club’s squad.

Then there’s the curious case of right-back talent Adam Devine, another who broke into the Rangers team a few years ago but was farmed out on loan to Motherwell in the first half of this year.

Returning in the summer, Devine has the likes of James Tavernier, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo in front of him and minutes will be limited.

Finally, there is attacking midfielder Alex Lowry who burst onto the scene in January 2023 but since then has struggled to break back into the side.

Seeing a loan spell at Hearts cut short last season, injury has had a big role to play in Lowry’s stuttering development but he is yet to feature under Philippe Clement and finds himself turning out in the Rangers B team.

Rangers squad rebuild far from complete

Rangers have a number of young players threatening to break through into the Ibrox first-team.

Ross McCausland is already there, whilst Robbie Fraser is a favourite of Philippe Clement’s and Cole McKinnon & Zak Lovelace remain highly thought of at the club.

Midfielder Bailey Rice is another of whom big things are expected, with England youth international Archie Stevens also highly-rated.

But considering the competition and Clement’s track record of selections, it really remains to be seen how Leon King, Adam Devine and Alex Lowry fit into the jigsaw.

It then brings into question why Rangers have not found a suitable solution to the situation with all three players, especially given they will likely play little football for the first-team this season.

It’s yet further evidence that Rangers’ rebuild is only just in its infancy with Nils Koppen set to have his work cut out for the next few windows just yet.