Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement raided the transfer market during the January window, bringing in three new signings for the Ibrox side.
Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande, and Fabio Silva all settled in well at the Light Blues, combining to score seven goals thus far for the club.
Both Silva and Cortes will return to their parent clubs at the end of the current campaign, with Diomande joining on a permanent deal in the summer, but it is clear just what strategy Clement will be using going forward.
Previously, the Gers had signed seasoned professionals who would offer some experience, although they would come with significant wage demands and have no resale value.
Under the Belgian, it appears as though he is looking at the long-term approach for the club. By signing young talents who have yet to blossom, developing them and moving them on for a profit, Clement will establish a player trading model which could be wonderful for the finances.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, there are several players who are out of contract, meaning the manager could free up some of his wage bill by releasing those he thinks have no future in Glasgow.
The Rangers players out of contract this summer
John Lundstram, Leon Balogun, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack, and Borna Barisic are the six senior players who will be free to leave the club once the season finishes.
Realistically, only Lundstram could offer something over the next couple of years, with the rest looking like they will be tasked with finding a new club.
Players
Club joined from
Games played
Borna Barisic
NK Osijek
230
Kemar Roofe
Anderlecht
98
Ryan Jack
Aberdeen
210
Jon McLaughlin
Sunderland
46
Leon Balogun
QPR
79 (over two spells)
John Lundstram
Sheffield United
144
This strategy could see the former Club Brugge manager save a total of £69k-per-week on the wage bill, which will give him some leeway in the transfer market with regard to potential new signings.
Of course, the Gers will still sign the odd player aged 25 or over, but longer-term planning will see plenty of talented gems arrive at the club in the coming years.
Might Clement already have some future prospects in the academy who could soon be ready to make their mark on the first team? With Bailey Rice a player who is being talked about as having a wonderful future in the game.
Bailey Rice’s youth statistics
The midfielder began his career with Motherwell and was offered a professional contract with the Steelmen during the summer of 2022.
Rangers pipped in ahead of a few other clubs to secure his signature, much to the frustration of Motherwell’s academy director Steven Hammell, who said:
“Although it’s disappointing to lose Bailey at this stage of his development, we respect his decision.” Explained Hammell having lost one of his most prized young talents.
Rice clearly could not turn down a move to Rangers, and it looks as though it could be the best possible place for him to showcase his skills while making an inroad into first-team football.
Indeed, having featured on a regular basis for the B team, Michael Beale called up Rice to be part of his matchday squad against Livingston in February last year.
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With a few minutes remaining, Beale gave Rice his senior bow, aged just 16 years and 137 days, making the midfielder the youngest ever player to make an appearance in the top flight, indicating just how promising a player he is.
“It was a huge achievement to even be involved in the squad but obviously to make my debut was even better.” Said Rice in an interview last year and it has gotten even better for him during the current campaign.
The 17-year-old signed a contract extension until 2026 back in September last year, with the Gers having high hopes for a future regular in the senior side.
Off the back of that news, Rice even made two appearances for the Ibrox side in the Premiership, during the 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen and in the win over St Mirren a week later.
He has been in the matchday squad a further four times but has yet to make another appearance since Clement arrived in mid-October.
The Belgian will be keeping a close eye on the young Scot, and he isn’t the only youngster making waves of late.
How Paul Nsio could slot in alongside Rice
Nsio joined Rangers in the same summer as Rice and it did not take him long to announce himself to the Ibrox faithful.
During a League Cup clash against Queen of the South in August 2022, Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave a host of academy gems some game time. Zak Lovelace, Archie Stevens and Robbie Ure made their debuts, while Nsio was brought on with just a couple of minutes remaining to make his senior bow aged just 16.
The youngster also played in all six of the UEFA Youth League fixtures for the B team last season, suggesting that he was clearly ready for the step-up.
His work ethic and performances were rewarded in November, as the midfielder was named the academy player of the month for October, having scored against AS Monaco, while he was also influential against Queens Park during a 4-0 win in the Glasgow Cup.
These impressive displays led the club to offer Nsio a contract extension until 2026 – similar to Bailey – at the end of November, with the youngster eagerly confirming, committing to the Gers for another two and a half years.
A loan move could be the next step on his journey, as Clement will be keen to see how he performs at senior level on a consistent basis, but there is no doubt he has what it takes to be a success in the coming years.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Rice and Bailey sound like a 90s hip-hop duo, but on the pitch, they work well in tandem with each other.
The former Motherwell gem typically drops slightly deeper, which could allow Nsio to utilise his attacking qualities to full effect.
The pair may just save the Ibrox side millions in the transfer market over the next few years, as their talent can take them to the very top of the game.
