There was a moment at Rangers when the club looked to have the opportunity to build after finally taking their place back on the domestic throne in Scotland.
But the mismanagement of the Rangers squad, transfer budget and that brief grip on the domestic game has seen a chronic downturn which forced a monumental change of tact in the summer transfer window.
How things are going to go under Philippe Clement’s youthful revolution remain to be seen, but there are a number of players Rangers fans reckon slipped through their fingers over the last few seasons.
One of those is Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swedish hitman now potentially set to follow his Portuguese manager to the Premier League.
Victor Gyokeres turns heads after Rangers links
Rangers were subject to ambitious links to Victor Gyokeres during the striker’s time with Coventry City in the English Championship.
Reports back in May 2023 suggested that Rangers had made a ‘surprise move’ to sign Gyokeres as Michael Beale looked to replace the outgoing Alfredo Morelos.
Instead, Rangers spent a combined £10.5m on Cyriel Dessers and Danilo with the results yet to justify the outlay after the duo’s first year in Scotland.
With Victor Gyokeres then moving to Sporting Lisbon in a blockbuster £18.5m deal, it suggested that Rangers were never serious suitors for the hitman.
But that investment from the Portuguese outfit is reaping huge rewards with the striker turning heads down south as Ruben Amorim’s Sporting side tear Manchester City apart.
Rangers’ Europa League rivals want £63m hitman
With Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim set to join Manchester United, the Sporting Lisbon manager had the chance to curry instant favour with the club’s support against rivals Manchester City.
Amorim is the man who has been chosen to replace Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag at Old Trafford, with Rangers set to come up against the 39-year-old at the famous old ground in the Europa League this season.
But before Amorim starts his new job with United on the 11th of November, there was still time to lead Sporting to a memorable 4-1 victory over Premier League champions Manchester City.
In a stunning Champions League result, lethal 26-year-old frontman Gyokeres netted a hattrick – which included two penalties – as Pep Guardiola’s side were left stunned in Portugal.
In the aftermath, the Star are suggesting that Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in signing Viktor Gyokeres ahead of next summer.
The Telegraph have claimed that the Swedish hitman could be available for £63m, alerting a host of Premier League clubs ahead of the January window.
Whether or not Viktor Gyokeres follows Ruben Amorim to Manchester United this January won’t impact Rangers anyway.
New signings are not allowed to be registered for the remainder of the Europa League group stage despite the fact Rangers don’t travel to Manchester until the 23rd of January.
