It's safe to say that the final few weeks of the 2023/24 season didn’t quite go to plan for Glasgow Rangers. Not only did they lose momentum in the Premiership title challenge, but the Ibrox side also suffered heartache in the Scottish Cup final.
Celtic proved to be the conquerors on both occasions. Despite Philippe Clement clearly bringing the Gers back from a crisis last October, he still has plenty of work to do in order to establish Rangers as the best team in the country.
He will be judged by the signings he makes and the players he sells this summer. With pre-season training already commencing as of Monday, he has made a decent start in both of these areas.
Not only have five players been released, freeing up a solid chunk of the wage budget, but five players have arrived at Ibrox thus far, with plenty more to come.
It is clear that every area of the pitch needs some improvement, in particular the midfield. Could this be where Clement targets one of his next signings?
Rangers have shown interest in Mexican international
While there has been no shortage of links to promising players this summer, as Clement aims to change the club’s fortunes in the transfer market, some are more exciting than others.
Andres Montano is a Mexican midfielder who has been linked with a move to Glasgow in recent weeks, and he certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
Player
Year joined
Games
Goals
Carlos Pena
2017
14
5
Eduardo Herrera
2017
24
2
Via Transfermarkt
The best part is, Montano will only cost around £1m should Clement take his initial interest further, giving the Belgian the chance to secure a highly-rated talent for peanuts.
Rafael Guillen, agent for El Cielo Management, discussed his client and the need for a move to Europe, saying:
"We think that Andres could easily play without problems for Celtic, or for Rangers, because of our relationship with them, but they are not the only ones. Celtic and Rangers have a lot of quality. The English Premier League is the number one league in the world and we already have Edson Alvarez and Raul Jimenez as Mexicans there.
"The Scottish League would be the best bridge for him it has a lower level that would allow Andres to play more often.”
It is perhaps a lower level than some other European leagues, but if Montano was to sign for Rangers, he could have the opportunity to play in the Champions League should the Light Blues qualify.
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Performances on the continental stage would boost his profile significantly, thus allowing Clement and Co the chance to secure a major profit on the midfielder.
Until then, however, the current Mazatlan starlet could form a wonderful duo with another rising talent at Rangers – Mohamed Diomande.
Mohamed Diomande’s season in numbers for Rangers
Clement signed the Ivorian on a six-month loan deal with an obligation to buy in January. Six months on, it looks like a wise decision indeed.
The 22-year-old added some athleticism to the heart of the midfield, slotting in alongside the more robust John Lundstram, and he took to Scottish football with ease.
He scored twice in his first four league matches for the club and his presence in the starting XI galvanised a midfield which had lacked something since the start of the season.
Compared to his teammates in the Premiership last term, the midfielder ranked tenth for shots per game (1.7), eighth for key passes per game (1.5) and fifth for tackles per game (1.5), demonstrating that he was effective when he had the ball in the opposition half along with showcasing his defensive skills when Rangers didn’t have the ball.
Matches
13
Accurate passes per game
27.5 (82%)
Big chances created
1
Key passes per game
1.5
Shots per game
1.7
Tackles per game
1.5
Total duels won per game
3.8 (52%)
Diomande will be vital to any success the Light Blues have next season. Adding in a player such as Montano will not only bolster the midfield but would allow Clement to form a solid partnership in the heart of the pitch.
What Andres Montano can offer Rangers
While Diomande shines when it comes to making important passes and preventing attackers from bursting through the centre of the pitch, Montano has a different set of skills.
For example, he registered six goal contributions across just 26 matches, not a bad stat considering he was often deployed in the heart of the midfield, which suggests he loves to make runs forward in order to score or create chances for others.
Additionally, Montano’s dribbling ability is wonderful. When compared to his positional peers over the previous 365 days in similar leagues, the 22-year-old ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.61), the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.02) and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90 (1.94).
This is evidence of Montano’s regular forays into the final third of the pitch, and it is clear he is extremely successful at it, judging by his dribbling abilities.
The positional versatility mentioned in the post above could see him either play alongside Diomande as part of a midfield two, or slightly higher up the pitch as a number ten, just in front of the Ivorian midfielder.
He has shown previously that either position could suit him and this should make his signing a no-brainer by Clement.
Losing the likes of Lundstram and Ryan Jack at the end of last season means the Belgian must add another couple of midfielders to his squad this summer. With Connor Barron already signed up ahead of next season, bringing in Montano makes a lot of sense.
There is a good feeling surrounding Ibrox right now with the amount of promising talent that is either arriving at the club or being linked with a move.
Should the manager add in a couple of experienced heads too, Rangers could be back in business next term.
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