Glasgow Rangers face an incredibly important week in their 2024/25 season as their future in the Champions League and the League Cup hangs in the balance.
Firstly, the Light Blues host Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden Park, as they continue to play home matches away from Ibrox, in the second leg of their qualifying tie, having drawn 1-1 last week.
The Ibrox giants then return to the national stadium when they host St. Johnstone in the League Cup, which was the only competition the Gers won last season.
If things do not go their way, Philippe Clement's side could be out of two competitions before by the end of the week, or they could progress in both.
This emphasises how important it is for head of recruitment Nils Koppen to get any business that Rangers want to do done as quickly as possible, as the campaign has started and important matches are coming thick and fast.
Clement needs signings in so that they can train and adapt to their new team and teammates whilst also being available to play in these big games.
Rangers interested in midfield ace
With this in mind, one player the Scottish giants must push to complete a deal for before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of the month is one of their reported targets.
Danish outlet Tipsbladet recently reported that the Light Blues are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Gustavo Puerta.
The outlet claimed that Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht, PAOK, a big club in Denmark, and sides from the Bundesliga are all vying to secure a move for the Colombia international this summer.
This shows that the Scottish Premiership outfit will need to beat off competition from a host of clubs across Europe and convince the player that Ibrox (Hampden for now) is the best next step for him in his career.
It stated that Bayer Leverkusen see him as an important part of their plans for the 2024/25 campaign and would not be willing to let him go easily.
However, Tipsbladet revealed that Anderlecht have been prepared to offer to take him on a season-long loan deal with an option to make it permanent next summer for €6m (£5m), and it remains to be seen whether or not that is an attractive bid for the German champions.
If Rangers could secure a similar deal and convince Puerta to make the move to Scotland then he could be a dream signing for current midfield star Connor Barron in Glasgow.
Connor Barron's impressive start to life at Rangers
The Light Blues moved quickly to sign the Scotland U21 international this summer after his contract with Premiership rivals Aberdeen expired at the end of May.
He is the only summer signing to have started all three of the club's games in all competitions so far, which speaks to how impressed Clement has been with him, both in training and in matches.
One thing that has stood out in his early outings in a Rangers shirt has been his energy and mobility in the middle of the park, as the young ace has buzzed about the pitch to make important contributions in and out of possession.
Appearances
2
Pass accuracy
92%
Tackles per game
2.0
Interceptions per game
1.5
Duels won per game
4.0
Ground duel success rate
57%
As you can see in the table above, Barron has been a nuisance to opposition teams, with four duels won and 3.5 tackles and interceptions combined per game.
He has been constantly breaking up attacks across the first two matches and, hopefully, that will continue to be a trend throughout the rest of the season.
The 21-year-old star's work in possession has also been secure and impressive, with a pass accuracy of 92%, which may be a surprise after he ended the 2023/24 campaign with a pass accuracy of 79% for Aberdeen in the Premiership.
Barron has stepped up to his new environment and the early signs are that he is going to thrive under the pressure of playing for Rangers and competing for trophies.
Clement could now find a dream signing to partner him and Mohammed Diomande by signing Puerta to bolster his midfield options this summer.
Why Rangers should sign Gustavo Puerta
The Gers should swoop to bring the Leverkusen starlet to Ibrox before the window slams shut because he is another energetic and defensively sound midfielder who can also offer quality in possession.
Like Barron, the 21-year-old is a classic all-rounder in the middle of the park who likes to buzz around the pitch to win the ball back and then drive his team forward when he has it, which could make them a dream pairing in midfield.
The 2023/24 campaign was a difficult one for him, though, as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga without losing a match, which made it hard for him to break into the side. This meant that the young gem only made seven appearances in the division, but he did complete 95% of his attempted passes and won 78% of his ground duels in that time.
He has not had many opportunities to shine with the German giants, which is understandable given their incredible season under Xabi Alonso, but he did catch the eye for Colombia at U20 level last year.
Appearances
5
8
Pass accuracy
84%
87%
Key passes per game
1.0
1.8
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.8
3.3
Duels won per game
5.6
5.9
Duel success rate
56%
52%
As you can see in the table above, Puerta showcased his quality in and out of possession in two international tournaments at youth level in 2023.
The £5m-rated enforcer was once described as an "exceptional all-rounded" midfielder by U23 scout Antonio Mango and these statistics back up that claim.
He won the majority of his duels whilst making multiple defensive interventions to cut out opposition attacks, whilst also offering creativity and efficiency in possession.
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1 ByDan Emery
This suggests that Puerta could be a dream signing to partner Barron in the middle of the park as they could combine to provide a sensational defensive screen in front of the back four to help Rangers constantly win the ball back and dominate matches.
