Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon spell under Philippe Clement, however, it will be all in vain should they not build upon this platform and aim for success this term.
Since the Belgian took over in mid-October, the Gers have won six and drawn one of their seven matches under his leadership, securing passage into the League Cup final in the process.
The final takes place next month and winning a trophy this early on in his spell at the club will be a major confidence boost, especially as they look to chase down Celtic in the hunt for the Premiership crown.
Having inherited Michael Beale’s squad, Clement will have to make do until January at least, then he can begin to bring in his own targets.
It remains to be seen whether there is a budget for new signings following the lavish spending during the summer, as £6m was spent on Danilo and £4.5m spent on Cyriel Dessers.
There are several players out of contract at the end of the season and the former Club Brugge boss could potentially cash in on a few of them in the next few weeks in order to fund some January transfers.
He may also try and cash in on a few players who might not have the brightest of futures at Ibrox and here at Football FanCast predict the three players the Light Blues could move in the January transfer window…
1 Ben Davies
The defender arrived from Liverpool last summer when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was in charge, costing around £4m and on the surface, it looked like a shrewd piece of transfer business.
Although he never made an appearance for the Anfield side, Davies had featured over 150 times in the Championship and brought some experience with him to Ibrox.
Safe to say, his move to Scotland hasn’t exactly worked out. Indeed, in the league last season, Davies ranked way down in 16th position across the squad for tackles per game (0.9) along with ranking seventh for interceptions per game (0.8), thus indicating he wasn’t the most positive influence defensively.
He also made a huge blunder during an Old Firm clash in April, falling to clear a ball in the box and former Gers striker Kenny Miller criticised the player, saying: “But it’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”
Stoke City were linked with a move for him during the summer, and despite nothing materialising, Davies could command a decent transfer fee should Clement decide to sell him in the coming months.
2 Borna Barisic
The Croatian left-back has been a mainstay alongside Connor Goldson and James Tavernier in the back four at the club since the start of the 2018/19 season.
During this period, he has made 218 appearances for the Glasgow side and, despite lacking consistency defensively, his attacking attributes have more than made up for it.
Barisic has registered 52 assists over these 218 matches and his attacking presence down the left wing is something which has helped the club secure a league title and the Scottish Cup over the last couple of years, along with reaching a major European final.
The 31-year-old has entered the final year of his contract at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign and could this be the last few months that the supporters see the Croatian at Ibrox?
AS Roma are reportedly keen on luring him to Serie A according to TEAMtalk, while Nottingham Forest are another club that will be aiming to secure him on a pre-contract agreement in just a few weeks.
Clement has Ridvan Yilmaz and Johnly Yfeko as left-back options, while Dujon Sterling and Adam Devine can also operate on the left side of the defence.
The Belgian could thus command a fee in January, and he should cash in on the player before it’s too late.
3 Scott Wright
Although not out of contract at the end of the current season, Wright only has a deal until 2025 and the next few transfer windows will be the best time to move him on with regard to securing a decent fee.
The winger has been at the Light Blues since January 2021 and during his spell in Glasgow, he has won a Premiership medal, scored a goal to secure victory in the Scottish Cup final and featured in a major European final.
Not bad achievements by any stretch of the imagination, but if Clement wants this Gers side to be a consistent force in Scotland, an improvement on the Scot will be required.
The 26-year-old has netted just nine goals across 94 appearances for the club and went the whole of last season without finding the back of the net.
This led to claims that his future lay away from Ibrox, and he came close to departing, seemingly securing a move to Turkish side Pendikspor, yet the move fell through as he decided to remain in Glasgow and fight for his place at Beale’s side.
A fee of £500k was mooted for his move abroad and if he puts in a few decent showings between now and the transfer window opening, he could secure Clement a decent fee which could be used to sign someone else.
While January represents a risky time to try and add some quality, the Belgian may already have some targets in mind before taking the job, and he could explore whether a move for them is possible or not.
The likelihood is he will have to move on a few of his players before bringing anyone new into the club and the £54k-per-week trio mentioned could probably fetch the largest transfer fees, without perhaps comprising the quality of the squad.
It could be an exciting few months ahead for the club, with a cup final to prepare for and the chance to secure European football after Christmas.
Clement has a challenge on his hands to make Rangers the dominant force in Scottish football once again, yet initial impressions are excellent and the Ibrox faithful will be hoping the honeymoon period can translate into a long and happy marriage.