Derek McInnes and his new-look Rangers side are up and running at Ibrox after a rocky start. Back-to-back wins against arch-rivals Celtic have set up a Premier Sports Cup semi-final showdown with Aberdeen and moved the Light Blues to within two points of the Hoops at the top of the Premiership.
After spending nearly £40million on 14 players, McInnes knows he has to deliver in his first season at the helm. He will be confident of extending their impressive run of form when Gers host Kilmarnock in the league after the international break.
Wingers and Wide Men
Oskar Fallenius was touted with a move to Ibrox this summer with his Djurgarden contract set to expire at the end of the year. The 24-year-old wide man recently endured a spell on the sidelines but returned just before the international break in last weekend's defeat to Elfsborg, where he came on at half-time. Rangers could still snap up the player, with Fallenius making his position clear earlier this month: "I will stay at the club now until the end of my contract. I won't move to any of the countries that still have an open transfer window."
Esmir Bajraktarevic was a late transfer target for Rangers shortly before the closure of the summer window, as Record Sport revealed. The Bosnia and Herzegovina winger landed a big move to PSV Eindhoven at the start of last season after catching the eye in the MLS with New England Revolution and featured in the recent World Cup. Ibrox boss McInnes was desperate to bolster his ranks in the wide areas on deadline day but instead opted to greenlight a loan move for Stuttgart's Badredine Bouanani instead of Bajraktarevic.
Defensive Targets
Hugo Siquet was a target as Rangers searched for a right-back. The defender was reportedly keen on the move, but Club Brugge had no interest in selling, and the player is now in the midst of a tough season in Belgium. He made his first start of the campaign in the win over Royal Antwerp last season but only lasted 41 minutes before limping off with a knock.
Rangers were also credited with an interest in Estoril's Antef Tsoungui. The Belgian defensive midfielder joined the Portuguese side from Feyenoord in the summer of 2025 and was also said to be on the radar of Southampton in England's second tier. But the 23-year-old, who previously spent time in the youth academies of both Chelsea and Brighton, stayed put during the window and has missed just one of his side's first seven matches in the Primeira Liga this season.
Other Missed Moves
Lewis Ferguson remained at Bologna despite claims from his dad Derek that the Scotland international had agreed to join Rangers. It was claimed that a fee could not be agreed, and the 27-year-old has been a mainstay in the Serie A engine room this term and has been praised by new boss Domenico Tedesco.
Rangers also sought defensive reinforcements in the shape of USA star Bryan Reynolds. Record Sport reported on their pursuit of the then Westerlo star, having previously signed his old teammate Tuur Rommens from the Belgian outfit. While they had an initial £2.5m offer accepted, Gers were ultimately priced out of the transfer after Ligue 1 side Rennes came to the table with a bid worth £3.3m for the 25-year-old. Reynolds has found regular minutes hard to come by in France so far, starting just one of his team's first six games.
Fares Ghedjemis was being tracked by both Rangers and their rivals Celtic, but Frosinone dug in despite the player's desire to leave last summer. Sporting director Regno Castagnini revealed that a cash influx at the club meant they could knock back interest, stating: "Ghedjemis wanted to leave, and I believe that when a player has the opportunity to improve, it's right that he shows it. When the Clara Vista fund came in, it was decided that Ghedjemis would stay with us since we no longer needed to sell players." After remaining in Italy, the winger has been a key figure for the newly-promoted side and their rise up the Serie A table, currently sitting sixth, starting the last three games after missing the start of the campaign through injury.
Rangers fans were disappointed not to see Vaclav Cerny return to the club 13 months ago after a successful period on loan at Ibrox. The Light Blues' interest in re-signing the Czech Republic international has never wavered, even after Cerny made a lucrative switch from Wolfsburg to Besiktas at the start of last season. But as Record Sport reported, the heavy finances involved make the prospect of the winger rocking the Rangers jersey again very difficult.
Jayden Meghoma was on loan from Brentford last season and following an injury to Tuur Rommes, before James Penrice was brought in, the club looked at the wing-back again. But instead, he joined Portsmouth on loan and has made himself the first-choice left-back with the English Championship side.
McInnes' side were very keen to bring in Brighton starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry. The 21-year-old speedster was in demand during the summer after helping Bolton win promotion to the English Championship in a productive loan spell last season. However, the Seagulls' reported asking price of £10million proved to be a bridge too far for Rangers, and the player has once again headed out on loan to Middlesbrough shortly after signing a brand new contract at Brighton.
Rangers were touted with a move for Sheffield United's Ryan One in the wake of the ACL injury suffered by Youssef Chermiti. One secured a big move to Bramall Lane from Hamilton Accies three years ago but hasn't quite been able to make the desired impact in England. He did enjoy a decent loan stint at Lincoln City to help them win promotion to England's second tier but is currently out with an injury after limping off in the goalless draw against Birmingham in early August.
Winger Jahnoah Markelo was also a player Rangers pursued in the summer. The Dutchman had only joined Coventry City back in January but only made fleeting appearances as Frank Lampard's team secured their long-awaited return to the Premier League. Gers made a play to bring the 23-year-old to Ibrox before he decided to make a money-spinning £4.4million transfer to Shabab Al-Ahli in the UAE Pro League, where he has made four appearances without scoring.
Couhaib Driouech saw a £7million move to Rangers from PSV collapse at the last minute after disagreements between the respective club's medical teams. The former Morocco star had agreed personal terms over a switch to Ibrox and was in the stadium to watch the 1-1 draw with Jagiellonia Bialystok that saw Gers crash out of the Europa League and drop into the Conference League play-off, before the deal was vetoed. The 24-year-old did leave the Dutch giants in the end for La Liga side Celta Vigo but has not started a league game. His only start has come in the surprise Europa League defeat to Omonoia. Speaking to PSV Play about Rangers' failure to sign the player in the summer over the weekend, PSV director of football Earnie Stewart said: "It is what it is. He went to Glasgow knowing that he had sustained a minor injury. In our view, something that would be very short-lived. He went to Glasgow, and Rangers subsequently thought completely differently about it. Celta de vigo was still in the picture at the time, and eventually we reached an agreement with them. He left for Celta and underwent the medical examination there. That wasn't a problem."
