Rangers are preparing for a pivotal Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos, with the two-legged tie set to begin later this month

The first leg will take place at Ibrox on 22 July, with the return fixture scheduled for 30 July in Athens. As the high-stakes encounter draws near, Russell Martin’s squad is deep into pre-season, and the urgency surrounding their transfer activity has only intensified given the looming European test.

The 39-year-old manager has already brought in six new players this summer, but there’s still pressure to make additional signings before facing the Greek giants.

Coady Deal Seen as Crucial to Rangers’ Hopes

One name heavily linked with a move to Ibrox is Conor Coady, and his potential arrival is seen as vital for Rangers’ hopes of progressing in Europe.

The club has been in long-running talks with the 32-year-old Leicester defender, and a deal is believed to be close. Coady would offer much-needed experience and leadership in the heart of the defence, qualities that could prove decisive in a tie of this magnitude.

According to Keith Jackson of the Daily Record (14 July, pg. 46), Rangers must secure Coady’s signing in time for him to feature in the qualifiers if Russell Martin is to have a real chance of advancing to the next round.

Igamane Situation Needs Urgent Clarity

While signings are crucial, outgoing transfers are also dominating headlines—particularly the uncertainty surrounding Hamza Igamane.

The Moroccan forward has agreed personal terms with Lille and appears eager to depart Glasgow this summer. This presents a serious concern for Martin, especially with Cyriel Dessers also reportedly looking to move on.

With both main strikers potentially leaving, Martin needs Igamane’s future resolved quickly, preferably before the Panathinaikos fixture. The last thing the manager wants is to rely on a player whose mind is already elsewhere in such a vital match.

Rangers can’t afford any distractions heading into what could be one of the defining games of their season.

Rangers defeated a Serie A club’s interest in signing the Peterborough defender.

Rangers won the race to sign Emmanuel Fernandez, beating out an unnamed Italian club in the process, according to Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony

The Ibrox side reportedly paid around £3.5 million to secure the 23-year-old centre-back from the League One outfit. Fernandez, who was highly rated at Peterborough, had previously turned down a move to Norwich City.

“I’m not a Rangers fan, but it’s a massive football club,” MacAnthony said.
“We knew Rangers were interested. Russell [Martin] had already tipped off the manager that they were monitoring him, and Barry had been working on the deal for about five weeks.”

MacAnthony also revealed that another club—recently promoted from Serie B—was among several others making offers for the defender.

Fernandez’s Stats Back Up the Hype

MacAnthony praised Fernandez’s profile, pointing to data-led recruitment as a major factor in the deal. He highlighted the defender’s aerial prowess and strong showings in high-profile cup matches.

“A lot of recruitment these days is driven by data.
If you check data platforms and filter for centre-backs under 24 with an aerial win rate above 68%, Manny ranks very highly.
Add in his standout performances—like the games against Everton in the cup and Birmingham at Wembley—and you can see why there was so much interest.”

He concluded by expressing confidence in the player’s future success at Rangers:

“I think Manny will thrive in Scotland. Rangers have got themselves a bargain, and I believe we’ll earn millions more from this deal in the future.”

Rangers’ move for a £3.3 million player who is similar to De Bruyne could eventually allow Clement to fire Dowell.

Now that the January transfer window is formally open, Glasgow Rangers will have the opportunity to make transfers in the upcoming weeks to bolster their roster.

The Gers are presently 14 points behind in the Scottish Premiership, but they still have the Europa League and the SFA Cup to contend with, so Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen may try to add players to the team.

The fact that Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande, and Fabio Silva were all acquired for Ibrox during the January transfer window in 2024 indicates that the Gers’ management is ready to be active during the winter transfer window.

However, Kieran Dowell is a jerk, and Rangers may need to let go of certain players to make room in the roster for new recruits.

The reasons for moving on from Kieran Dowell
The English offensive midfielder, who was signed by Norwich City on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, hasn’t impressed at Ibrox in the last 18 months.

In the Premiership last season, the former Everton academy graduate made just 12 appearances, starting five of them, and provided two goals and two assists.

Dowell missed a staggering 26 games due to two different ailments that kept him out for more than 50 days each, severely disrupting his campaign.

In 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the 27-year-old dude has scored zero goals and provided zero assists, demonstrating how little the midfielder has done for Clement.

The Belgian manager should thus fire the midfield failure, who has only managed two league goals in his 18 months at Ibrox, and use the January transfer window to acquire a replacement. Darius Olaru, a reported target, may be a great choice.

Reasons for Rangers to sign Olaru Darius
According to reports, Rangers are interested in signing the Romanian international, who has a £3.3 million release clause in his FCSB contract. By doing so, they would be able to remove Dowell from the team in that role.

If Olaru, an offensive midfielder, can adapt his performances from the Romanian first division since the beginning of the previous season, he would be a significant improvement over the Englishman in Scottish football.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old star has only missed six games due to injury. FCSB chief Mihai Stoica compared him to Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne for his ability to score and create goals.

Since the beginning of the previous season, Olaru has consistently contributed goals, assists, and “big chances” produced in the league, as the table above illustrates. Dowell has not been able to accomplish this during his tenure at Ibrox.

These figures imply that the De Bruyne-like player has the ability to replace the former Norwich player in the squad and provide Clement with higher-quality top-end players than he has been receiving from the former Norwich player.

Olaru can be a considerably more useful asset to the team than Dowell because of his availability, as demonstrated by his remarkable fitness record, and his skill, as demonstrated by his form in Romania.