The acquisitions of Jefte and Oscar Cortes could be the beginning of a very exciting recruitment drive at Rangers.
Jefte moves to Glasgow on a four-year deal from Flurminese, having spent last season on loan with Cypriot champions APOEL. While Cortes has signed a one-year loan switch from French side RC Lens, but Rangers do have an obligation to buy the winger next summer.
Manager Philippe Clement is eager to put his own stamp on the Light Blues squad as he goes into his first summer transfer window in the Ibrox hot seat.
Rangers lost the Scottish Premiership title race which proved a bitter blow and former captain Barry Ferguson has felt the sheer disappointment around the club.
But he reckons the board are going to do all they can do bridge the gap with Celtic - who have secured automatic Champions League qualification. And luring players of similar quality to Mohamed Diomande could prove pivotal in doing that.
"Having been around the club a lot over the last 12 months, I could sense the level of disappointment all around when the title slipped away over the final few weeks of last season," Ferguson wrote in his Daily Record column.
"But I also felt a real determination to do something serious about it. We all know that Celtic are going to hit the jackpot in European football’s richest competition next season but Rangers also have a chance of joining them there through the qualifiers.
"The obvious fear is that Celtic could disappear over the horizon now that they’re about to pile another fortune into the bank.
"There will be a contingency plan already drawn up for how to go about bridging the financial gap in the event that Rangers have to settle for the Europa League instead. But it would make life a lot easier for all concerned if Clement can find a way of making it through into the big one and that will be the only aim right now.
"That’s why Bennett will have his work cut out in trying to get the new recruits into the building as quickly as possible and, to his credit, three deals have been completed already with Leon Balogun signing a new one year deal, Oscar Cortes penning a new loan with an obligation to buy and Brazilian left back Jefte sorted out.
"I find it interesting that Jefte and Cortes were identified around the same time as Mohamed Diomande who has already made a decent impact over his first six months in Glasgow. There will be a lot more to come from Diomande next season and if Cortes and Jefte are of a similar level then Rangers will have made a very strong start to the recruitment drive.
"Keeping big Balogun at the club was a no brainer for me. Yes, he may be 35-years-old but he looks to me like the consummate professional. I’m delighted he will be sticking around to offer some continuity as Clement rings the changes elsewhere. With five players released already, the manager will know exactly how he wants his squad to look when he gets back to Auchenhowie.
"So, while the rest of us can sit back and enjoy the show (Euro 2024) in Germany, Rangers don’t have that same luxury."
