Glasgow Rangers still have just under two weeks left in the summer transfer window to make further additions before the deadline passes at the end of August.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has dipped into the market to land Hamza Igamane, Oscar Cortes, Mohammed Diomande, Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala, Jefte, Connor Barron, Robin Propper, and Vaclav Cerny so far.
However, there could be more to come from the Light Blues before the end of the window as their recruitment thus far did not help them to qualify for the Champions League.
The Gers lost 3-1 to Dynamo Kyiv over two legs and that defeat made it clear that the Scottish giants still lack quality in areas of the squad, which needs to be addressed this summer, and in future windows.
Rangers will play in the Europa League group phase this season and they could need more quality additions to compete and go far in that competition.
One area of the pitch in which Koppen and Philippe Clement could look to strengthen is in attacking midfield, where Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell are not part of the squad as it stands.
Rangers must swoop for Chelsea starlet
The Ibrox giants have been linked with attacking midfielders throughout the summer transfer window and one potential option is Chelsea's Leo Castledine.
Rangers are reportedly interested in signing the 18-year-old playmaker before the end of the month to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
The Light Blues are keen to land him on a season-long loan with an option to make it permanent next summer, but the Premier League giants would prefer a straight loan.
Fellow Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen and unknown teams from the English Championship are also eyeing up the England youth international, which means that Rangers will face plenty of competition for his signature.
Clement's side have also been linked with an interest in Manchester United attacking midfielder Hannibal Mejbri but his £7m price tag could make that a difficult deal to complete.
Instead of splashing out a fee of £7m to sign the Tunisia international, Rangers could save funds and land Castledine on loan from Chelsea to bridge a gap in that position until next summer at least.
The Blues youngster is a fantastic talent and could be a dream signing for current Light Blues striker Cyriel Dessers, who has blown hot and cold in his time at Ibrox so far.
Cyriel Dessers' hot and cold time at Rangers
It is fair to say that the experienced forward splits opinion in Glasgow as there is a lot to like and a lot not to like about his performances for the club.
The striker was brought in on a permanent deal from Italian side Cremonese by former Gers boss Michael Beale last summer and enjoyed a solid first season in Scotland on paper.
He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 22 goals and nine assists in 54 appearances in all competitions, which shows that he was able to find the back of the net a fair amount.
However, that goal return does not tell the full story of his season. Dessers was a frustrating player to watch at times due to his wasteful finishing in front of goal, particularly in the Scottish Premiership.
The 29-year-old attacker missed a staggering 27 'big chances' and scored 16 goals in the division, which shows that he spurned far more huge opportunities than he scored. Meanwhile, no other Rangers player got into double figures for 'big chances' missed.
This suggests that Dessers should have scored more than he did based on the quality of chances that were created for him by his teammates in the Premiership.
He has started the current campaign with an impressive return, on paper, of three goals in five starts but his finishing has, once again, been questionable.
Appearances
2
Goals
1
Big chances missed
3
Key passes
0
Assists
0
Pass accuracy
57%
As you can see in the table above, Dessers has not made the most of the opportunities that have fallen his way in the first two Premiership games, whilst also being loose in possession with no creativity.
These statistics suggest that Rangers are in need of an attacking midfielder who can contribute with goals to make up for the striker's struggles in the final third.
Why Rangers should sign Leo Castledine
Koppen and Clement must push to land an agreement to sign Castledine on loan from Chelsea because he has the potential to be that goalscoring number ten that the team currently lacks.
Tom Lawrence is the only natural attacking midfielder in the first-team mix and has started the season with zero goals and zero assists in four starts.
Appearances
23
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
Pass accuracy
82%
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international also struggled to make a regular impact at the top end of the pitch in the 2023/24 campaign.
Lawrence does not appear to have the attacking quality that Rangers need to make up for Dessers' struggles in front of goal, but Castledine has the potential to have it.
The 18-year-old star, who turns 19 this month, enjoyed a stunning 2023/24 season with a return of ten goals and nine assists in 18 Premier League 2 appearances for Chelsea's U21s, predominantly playing in an attacking midfield role.
He has showcased his ability in the final third throughout his time in the Blues academy with 14 goals and ten assists in 46 matches for the U21s and 18 goals and six assists in 47 games for the U18s.
Castledine, who was hailed as "exceptional" on the ball by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has yet to prove himself at senior level, with just the one first-team outing, and a loan to Rangers could be his chance to shine.
If he can translate his sensational form at youth level over to Ibrox (Hampden for now) then he could be the dream signing to partner Dessers in attack, by providing a huge goal threat from a number ten role whilst also being a creator for his teammates.
