Rangers, like most clubs, have a long list of players who they could have signed or who they wanted but got away.
Philippe Clement isn’t the first manager to see one-time targets go on and make a name for themselves as he is left with a squad short of depth and with more than a few questions about its quality.
Midfield is particularly short with Clement probably wishing that he his predecessors in the Ibrox hotseat had brought Pablo Torre to Rangers.
Rangers linked Pablo Torre eyed by Porto
The Light Blues were linked on several occasions with the engine room playmaker; first of all when he was in Spain’s third tier and after his £4m move to Barcelona.
The latest from Sport journalist Toni Juanmarti, is that Porto are looking to sign the highly praised youngster but that the Catalans are reluctant to release the 21-year old.
Xavi Hernandez, the manager who signed Torre, was clearly a fan and, if anyone should know what a good midfielder looks like, it’s the Spanish legend:
“We have been following him a while,” Xavi said when he signed Torre, who scored 10 goals and assisted 11 in the season before he moved to Barca.
“For me, he’s a natural talent. He can play in midfield and out wide. He’s ambidextrous. (He) has a great final ball, scores goals and is great from set plays. He’s very young, but he’s a natural talent.”
Could Rangers target Torre in the summer?
Torre has only played 25 times for Barca with his biggest impact coming at Girona on loan in their promotion season of 2023/24.
In the summer, the Spaniards will have a decision to make though with the Under-21 international only having a year left of his contract.
This is the profile of player that Nils Koppen should be looking for; well known to the recruitment team, a favourable contract status, on the fringes of his parent club, able to make an immediate impact in the first team but still young enough to be developed and sold at a profit.
Torre might not be moving in this transfer window, but Rangers should be near the front of the queue when the window re-opens.
