Glasgow Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been a busy man during the summer transfer window so far, snapping up plenty of talent for Philippe Clement.
The seventh signing of the summer was officially confirmed earlier this week when Hamza Igamane, an U23 forward, was unveiled to the Ibrox faithful.
They have also added Jefte, Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala, Liam Kelly, Oscar Cortes, and Mohammed Diomande to the squad, although the latter two have both re-joined after their time at Rangers in the second half of last term.
This comes after the Light Blues failed to win the Scottish Premiership in the 2023/24 campaign, eventually finishing second to their local rivals for the third season running.
Hearts
(A)
Motherwell
(H)
Ross County
(H)
Celtic
(A)
Dundee United
(A)
Koppen and Clement are now making wholesale changes to the squad, with the likes of Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, and Kemar Roofe having also left as free agents, to ensure that the team is ready to compete for the title next season.
Rangers eyeing up Premier League whiz
According to Dave Ockop, the Light Blues are now in the market to add another midfield talent to their ranks in the form of Liverpool's Bobby Clark.
The report claims that Rangers are now in the mix to sign the talented young midfielder to bolster their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.
Koppen will have to beat off competition from several clubs in the race to land the former Newcastle youngster, though, as RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig, and Norwich City are also keen on him.
Salzburg are managed by Pep Lijnders, who was Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Anfield, and they may, therefore, have the edge in this race due to that direct link with the Reds and Clark.
The report states that Liverpool are planning to open talks with the 19-year-old maestro this month to secure a new contract for him, in order to ensure that his long-term future is on Merseyside.
It adds that the Premier League side are yet to make a decision on what they want to do with him for the upcoming season, though, and Rangers may need to wait to find out whether or not they have an opportunity to sign him on loan.
If Koppen and Clement can land a swoop for the exciting young whiz, though, then they could land the club's next version of the mercurial Paul Gascoigne.
Paul Gascoigne's Rangers career
The English icon joined the Scottish giants from Lazio in the summer of 1995 and enjoyed just shy of three years in Glasgow, showing off his attacking talent in the middle of the park.
Gascoigne was an incredibly gifted midfielder who could play in a number eight or ten role and burst forward to provide the team with quality at the top end of the pitch.
He racked up 39 goals in 102 appearances in all competitions across three seasons at Ibrox, which illustrates the immense threat the former Tottenham Hotspur magician was a goalscorer.
Starts
41
31
21
Sub appearances
1
3
7
Goals
19
17
3
Unfortunately, assist numbers were not tracked for Rangers at that time so it is unclear as to how many goals he set up for his teammates, but Gascoigne's scoring prowess on its own was enough to make him a huge player for the club.
The Ibrox giants could now find their next version of the former England international by signing Clark from Liverpool, on loan or permanently, as the young ace has been compared to the ex-Gers star.
Back in 2021, Newcastle Chronicle reporter Lee Ryder described the teenage talent as an "exciting" and "dynamic" player who was set to be a star for the Magpies before his move to Anfield.
The journalist then compared Clark to how Gascoigne was at Newcastle at a similar age, referencing the Rangers target's "raw" skills and claiming that they were comparable at that age.
Ryder finished by saying that the Liverpool youngster may have the right guidance and nutrition around him to fulfill his potential and become a "complete" player in the future.
Why Rangers should sign Bobby Clark
The Gers should swoop to sign the 19-year-old midfielder because his career so far, at youth and senior level, suggests that he could develop into a fantastic talent.
Clark has emerged as a first-team option for the Reds after catching the eye with his impressive performances in the middle of the park in the academy for the Premier League giants.
The right-footed maestro showcased his attacking quality for the U18s with an excellent return of 13 goals and five assists in 27 appearances in all competitions.
He followed that up with a haul of five goals and six assists in 37 games for the U21s in a central midfield role, which took his tally to 18 goals and 11 assists in 64 academy matches.
The England U20 international has since earned himself chances in the first-team and produced one goal and two assists in 14 appearances, with 66.6% of those goal contributions coming in the Europa League.
Appearances
2
Minutes played
98
Goals
1
Assists
1
Key passes
2
Tackles won
6
Duel success rate
82%
As you can see in the table above, Clark caught the eye with his limited game time in Europe during the 2023/24 campaign for the English giants.
The Rangers target showcased his quality in and out of possession with two goal involvements in less than 100 minutes played and an eye-catching six tackles won.
His duel success rate of 82%, albeit in a small sample size, also suggests that he may be ready for the physicality that comes with regular senior football.
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Therefore, this could be the right time for him to emerge as a first-team regular and that could happen at Ibrox as Gascoigne 2.0 with his ability to score and create goals from a central or attacking midfield role.