Rangers recruitment office at Auchenhowie will have a clock ticking down similar to the one predicting when the world will end.
It’s not quite doomsday yet for Philippe Clement but the manager will be hoping that his squad on the 1st of September is stronger than it is just now.
There are new signings who have yet to play at Ibrox but any late additions shouldn’t have to wait too long with the final shipments of steel arriving.
One player who might have played his last game at Ibrox is Ianis Hagi with a report in ProSport saying that Rapid Bucharest are considering a move for the Rangers playmaker.
Ianis Hagi could be set for Rangers exit
The 26-year old has been playing for the B team on a regular basis and there suggestions that he wanted to come back into the first-team fold.
Clement quickly dismissed these claims amid rumours of a £6,000 per week contract clause that would be triggered if he played again.
Rapid have just landed a £4.3m windfall after former Rangers target Albion Rrahmani joined Sparta Prague.
At one point, Rangers were said to be at the front of the queue to sign the Kosovo international.
Clearing the decks was always going to be the biggest issue this summer with Clement explaining why selling players isn’t as easy as it is on Football Manager:
“It’s important for the club to sell players to also get players,” Clement said.
“That is the case and some of them have known that a really long time and they are still in the building, so that makes things more difficult, but it is what it is.
“I cannot put a gun on their heads to get them out the building, that is not the idea.
“It’s not something I can control. All the energy is on the players who are here, the players that will be here and to get the next result.”
Ianis Hagi departure would free up much needed funds
Ianis Hagi wouldn’t bring in a fortune having only cost £3m, but he would bring in enough money to make a difference.
He would also free up a sizeable weekly wage.
Rangers need a number 10 with more mobility than Tom Lawrence if Mohamed Diomande isn’t going to be the long-term option.
As Nils Koppen has demonstrated already, there are ways and means to bring in quality players without breaking the bank.
A loan deal for a Premier League youngster or a loan to buy deal similar to the one that saw Oscar Cortes arrive from France.
There is a lot of uncertainty, but what we do know is that Rangers won’t have much time, even if Hagi returns home.
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