Rangers Summer Shake-Up: McInnes Eyes Four New Signings

Rangers’ summer is about to get busy. Very busy.

Olwethu Makhanya is already through the door from Philadelphia Union, a first piece of defensive business in a window that is starting to creak into life. But inside Ibrox, the message is blunt: expect up to four more arrivals – once the exits are cleared.

This is not a gentle refresh. It is a reset.

Outgoings clear the runway

The revolving door has already started to spin. Oliver Antman has gone, completing his switch to Anderlecht and trimming one attacking option from Derek McInnes’ squad. Nedim Bajrami is edging towards a move to the Saudi Pro League, another creative outlet likely to disappear from the front line and midfield.

Those departures are only the start. A “plethora” of exits is being prepared, and the shape of McInnes’ first Rangers squad will be dictated by who leaves as much as who comes in.

One name sits at the centre of the financial equation: Nico Raskin.

The Belgian midfielder is valued at more than £20 million and remains on the radar of Villarreal and other European clubs. Any deal at that level would instantly become the biggest financial boost of the window, a sale that would give McInnes serious room to remodel, not just tinker.

Wings of change

On the pitch, the manager’s priority is crystal clear. Rangers need more threat out wide.

McInnes wants two new wingers before the window closes, a direct response to a lack of firepower on the flanks. With Antman gone and Bajrami close to the exit, the squad is light in those areas, and the manager does not intend to go into a demanding season with makeshift solutions hugging the touchline.

The hunt is for pace, end product and players who can turn tight domestic games and European nights with a single moment. The kind of wide options Rangers have too often lacked when the margins have narrowed.

Defensive rebuild gathers pace

Behind them, the rebuild is just as urgent.

Makhanya’s arrival is only the opening act. Rangers want two more defenders, with John Souttar widely expected to move on. That looming departure leaves a sizeable gap in the heart of the back line and adds urgency to the search for cover and competition.

McInnes knows the schedule that awaits: a Premiership campaign that starts on Friday night at Tannadice against Dundee United, plus European qualifiers and the domestic cup grind. He does not want to be patching together a defence on the fly.

The brief is simple – add depth, add reliability, and do it quickly.

Midfield on hold – unless a big offer lands

Central midfield is a different story. Another body in that area is not at the top of the list.

Interest in Jens Herto Dahl of Tromso has cooled for now, with any move effectively on pause unless Rangers manage to move on one of Connor Barron, Mo Diomande or, most significantly, Raskin himself.

If Raskin stays, the middle of the park looks relatively stable. If he goes, the entire balance of the squad – and the budget – changes overnight.

That is the sliding door moment of this window.

Clock ticking before Dundee United opener

The countdown has already started. Rangers open their Premiership campaign on Friday night away to Dundee United, and McInnes has made it clear inside the building: he wants new faces in as soon as possible, not scrambling through the door on deadline day.

The aim is integration, not improvisation. Get them in, get them up to speed, and hit the ground running in a season where domestic consistency and European progress are non-negotiable targets.

The 49ers’ backing remains in place and the intent is obvious. This is a squad in transition, but not one content to drift through a rebuilding year.

Over the next few weeks, Rangers will decide who they really are under Derek McInnes – by who they let go, who they bring in, and how quickly those decisions turn into points on the board.