Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement managed to get a few high earners off the wage bill at the end of last season.
John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack and Borna Barisic all departed Ibrox after varying degrees of success, but the clearout helped Clement bring in several new players during the summer transfer window.
Lundstram was perhaps the most polarising figure out of the four. Capable of producing wonder purple patches during his spell at the Light Blues, the Englishman was never consistent enough to perform solidly on a regular basis.
Player
Club joined
Sam Lammers
FC Twente
Connor Goldson
Aris Limassol
Robby McCrorie
Kilmarnock
Ryan Jack
No club
Kemar Roofe
No club
John McLaughlin
No club
Borna Barisic
Trabzonspor
John Lundstram
Trabzonspor
Jose Cifuentes
Aris Saloniki
Having signed the likes of Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande, Lundstram is now a thing of the past.
John Lundstram’s Rangers statistics
Lundstram was signed in the immediate aftermath of the successful 2020/21 campaign, which saw the Gers win their first league title in a decade under the tutelage of Steven Gerrard.
Having played in the Premier League with Sheffield United, luring him north of the border on a free transfer was seen as a major coup for the club, one that Gerrard hoped could carry the momentum from the 2020/21 campaign into the new season.
The midfielder ended up playing 48 matches across all competitions for the Gers, yet he failed to really shine in the top flight as the club lost their title to Celtic.
Europe was a different story, however. Lundstram appeared in all but one of the club’s Europa League fixtures as they reached the final after a stunning run after Christmas, seeing off the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
The Englishman scored against both sides, including the winner against the latter in the semifinals, endearing himself to the Ibrox faithful.
This led Ally McCoist to lavish praise on the player ahead of the Europa League final, saying: "His form the last couple of months has been nothing short of magnificent. He's become a cult hero."
The following two seasons failed to see him perform the way he did during this wonderful run in Europe, struggling domestically as Celtic won every trophy minus the 2023 League Cup.
Overall, Lundstram made more than 150 appearances for Rangers, registering 20 goal contributions in the process, but there is a feeling that his spell in Scotland could have been better if he was more consistent, rather than sparkling in spells.
His departure freed up a good chunk of the wage bill. Might Clement forget all about him by signing another midfielder before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month?
Rangers' search to replace Lundstram
According to a report from the Daily Record earlier this week, the Light Blues are keeping tabs on Benfica starlet Martim Nemo as a loan deal has been touted for the player.
Nemo has played just once for Benfica, but was given some minutes during pre-season and manager Roger Schmidt stated the midfielder could depart again if he so wishes, saying:
"Martim has done well at Gil Vicente after the injury he sustained. "Regardless of whether the players go on loan or not, we have to accept things as they are. With all the players who leave Benfica, the idea is to give them the opportunity to develop and gain confidence.
"And of course it is always an excellent opportunity for Benfica. The idea is to have a good overview of all the players, but we have to make difficult decisions later on because we have to respect the player's own wishes."
This could give Clement an ideal chance to sign the youngster on a temporary deal, which could turn into a £2.5m purchase next summer should the Ibrox side decide to sign him permanently.
Why Martim Nemo could be a dream signing for Connor Barron
Nemo spent last season on loan at Portuguese side Gil Vicente, operating in a deep lying role as he made a total of 33 appearances for the club, scoring once and grabbing two assists.
The 21-year-old showed a willingness to get on the ball often, averaging over 40 touches per game, while he also succeeded with 0.9 dribbles per match – a success rate of 82% – showing that he enjoys getting forward often and beating his man.
Lauded by scout Jacek Kulig as an “exciting” talent along with several other Benfica youngsters back in 2021, Nemo may soon have to leave the club in order to secure regular first-team football.
In the Portuguese top flight last term, Nemo ranked in the top 20% for progressive carries (2.22), the top 4% for successful take-on percentage (77.1%), the top 10% for ball recoveries (7.13) and the top 17% for tackles in the middle third (1.25) per 90 when compared to his positional peers.
This clearly showcases his talents, despite playing for a team that finished in 12th position last season, underlining his importance.
Alongside Barron, Nemo could form a dream partnership with the former Aberdeen gem, as the two would look to control things in the middle of the pitch, allowing those in front of them to operate more freely.
This could see a young, vibrant, central midfielder duo formed by Clement. With Barron already shining for the club since moving from the Dons, adding another young sensation into the starting XI may give him add room for some extra freedom.
Much will depend who Clement can shift out of the door between now and the deadline on Friday evening, but bringing in a talent like Nemo could be a stroke of genius.
Of course, adding in another one or two experienced players may be the route the Belgian goes down, but if a chance to sign Nemo arises, then it must be taken.
This initial £2.5m investment could soon see the Light Blues make a substantial profit on their investment in the next few years.
There could be a flurry of activity happening at Ibrox over the next five days. Watch this space.
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