Glasgow Rangers know that the clock is now ticking at Ibrox as they have less than a month to prepare for their first game of the Scottish Premiership season.
Rangers travel away from Glasgow in the opening match of the 2024/25 campaign and may want to make further signings to bolster their squad before that meeting.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen and Philippe Clement have already worked to bring in seven new recruits to add further quality and depth to the manager's options.
Liam Kelly, Mohammed Diomande, Jefte, Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala, and Hamza Igamane have all signed for the Light Blues on permanent deals, whilst Oscar Cortes has been snapped up on loan.
Meanwhile, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe, and Borna Barisic all departed as free agents at the end of May, making room for signings to come in.
Hearts
(A)
Motherwell
(H)
Ross County
(H)
Celtic
(A)
Dundee United
(A)
Igamane was the most recent addition for the Scottish giants and it will be intriguing to find out where Clement plans to use the versatile star in his side.
Where Hamza Igamane could thrive for Rangers
The 21-year-old attacker has been snapped up on a permanent deal from FAR Rabat in his home country of Morocco, and this is his first adventure in Europe.
It may take him time to adapt to Scottish football and to playing in a new country and, therefore, there should not be huge expectations of him in the immediate future.
Igamane predominantly played as a centre-forward for FAR Rabat but throwing him in as the team's go-to number nine as a 21-year-old who is moving to Europe for the first time, could be a big gamble, particularly when he was not prolific for his previous club.
The Morocco U23 international scored 16 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions and seven goals in 20 league games during the 2023/24 campaign.
This does not suggest that he has the goalscoring prowess to come in and immediately lead the line as a reliable scorer for Clement in the Premiership.
However, Igamane has also been utilised as a right winger in his career and his statistics from the Botola Pro league last term suggest that he has the attributes to thrive in that role for the Gers.
Appearances
20
Starts
16
Goals
7
Dribbles completed per game
1.9
Dribble success rate
64%
Fouled per game
1.1
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old ace, who registered six assists, was a dynamic forward for FAR Rabat with his fantastic ability to beat opposition players or draw fouls with his dribbling skills.
Meanwhile, no Rangers player managed more than Ridvan Yilmaz's 1.3 completed dribbles per game in the Premiership last season, which illustrates how impressive Igamane's dribbling was for his previous team.
His dribbling skills, alongside his ability to chip in as a scorer and a creator of goals, suggest that he could be an excellent right winger for the Gers as the new signing could drive down the flank to make things happen in the final third.
Who could play behind him as a dream partner at right-back? Amid speculation around James Tavernier's future at Ibrox, the Gers have been linked with a new full-back.
Rangers' interest in Nigerian speedster
Earlier this month, it was reported that Rangers are one of three teams interested in a deal to sign Fenerbahce dynamo Bright Osayi-Samuel this summer.
Premier League sides Southampton, who have just been promoted from the Championship, and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen on the Nigeria international.
At the end of June, Alan Nixon claimed on his Patreon, via RangersNews, that the Turkish giants are prepared to allow him to return to England for the right price this summer, which could extend to Scotland if the Gers decide to swoop in for him.
However, the reporter did not reveal exactly how much the Super Lig side are looking for in order to part ways with the former Queens Park Rangers star.
Osayi-Samuel could be a much-needed signing if Tavernier moves on from Ibrox. The Scottish Sun recently reported that Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah are keeping tabs on the right-back and that he could be one of the players sold this summer.
Why Rangers should sign Bright Osayi-Samuel
The Gers should swoop to sign the Fenerbahce star ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as he could come in as a dream partner for Igamane down the right flank.
Osayi-Samuel has proven himself to be a strong defender who can also progress play through his surging runs down the wing and reliable passing during his time in Turkey.
During the 2023/24 Super Lig season, the 26-year-old full-back won 58% of his duels and made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game across 23 appearances, which shows that he can win the majority of his physical battles to break up opposition attacks.
The £21k-per-week star, who was once hailed for his "blistering" pace by former boss Mark Warburton, also completed 87% of his attempted passes, and 85% of his passes during the previous league campaign, which speaks to his reliability in possession.
Pass accuracy (85%)
Top 12%
Progressive passes (3.88)
Top 37%
Progressive carries (3.15)
Top 17%
Successful take-ons (1.94)
Top 11%
Passes into the final third (0.97)
Top 45%
Progressive carrying distance (110.13 yards)
Top 31%
As you can see in the table above, Osayi-Samuel has previously proven, in Europe, that he can consistently progress play through his passing and carrying.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
This means that he can constantly get the ball forward from right-back and this could help Igamane to thrive as he would not need to drop deep to get involved in games.
Osayi-Samuel could use his qualities to feed the winger the ball in dangerous positions to allow the 21-year-old star to have plenty of chances to showcase his dribbling ability in the final third, with the aim of making things happen in the final third.
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Therefore, Igamane and the Nigerian ace could end up being a dream pairing down the right flank if that is the route Clement decides to go down next season.