Glasgow Rangers have come flying out of the traps this summer as they look to improve the squad before the 2024/25 campaign kicks off later this year.
The summer transfer window does not officially open until Friday, which is also when Scotland kick off Euro 2024 with a clash with Germany, but that has not stopped the Ibrox giants from already doing plenty of business.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen and manager Philippe Clement have been hard at work to bring in three recruits, with the first being Oscar Cortes, who has returned for a second loan stint from Lens, with an obligation to make the deal permanent next summer.
Brazilian left-back Jefte was then brought in on a permanent from Fluminense before the club confirmed that Clinton Nsiala, a 20-year-old French centre-back, is set to join the Gers next month when his contract with AC Milan expires.
German winger Yusuf Kabadayi is also reportedly closing in on a switch to Glasgow from German giants Bayern Munich on a permanent deal.
The Light Blues may be moving quickly in the market to make up for the number of key first-team performers who left on free transfers last month, as John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, and Ryan Jack all moved on from Ibrox.
Rangers want to compete deal for midfield whiz
Kabadayi could be the fourth senior addition of the transfer window for the club but there could be a fifth not long after, if the Gers get their wish.
According to the Heart & Hand Podcast's daily Patreon update (11/06/24), via RangersNews, Rangers are 'keen' to complete a deal to sign Penarol central midfielder Damian Garcia.
The report claims that his current contract with the club is due to expire at the end of the calendar year, which would make him a free agent for the January transfer window.
However, the Light Blues, like they did with Jose Cifuentes' move from LAFC last summer, would like to pay a fee to bring him in now rather than waiting for a potential scramble to land him on a free in the winter.
The update states that that the Scottish giants are 'very keen' on Garcia and are now looking to complete a deal to bring him to Ibrox, although it remains to be seen how much Penarol are set to demand for his services.
Rangers could now brilliantly replace Lundstram, whose contract expired at the end of last month, by pushing to land the 20-year-old starlet this summer.
John Lundstram's season in numbers for Rangers
The former Sheffield United midfielder had highs and lows throughout the 2023/24 campaign as there were some excellent performances mixed in with some less-than-impressive outings, to say the least.
His quality in possession was useful to the Gers at the base of the midfield with his reliable passing and ability to contribute with assists in the final third.
He topped the squad with a pass success rate of 88.5% in the Scottish Premiership, ranked joint-fifth for key passes per game (1.5), and joint-second for assists (five) – only behind James Tavernier (ten).
These statistics show that the central midfielder provided creativity in the middle of the park, as only one other player registered more assists.
However, his work out of possession left a lot to be desired as the 30-year-old struggled with the pace of the game at times, particularly in the Old Firm clashes.
Minutes played
47
Sofascore rating
5.1
Red cards
1
Own goals
1
Ground duels won
2/7
Aerial duels won
1/3
As you can see in the table above, Lundstram's last league appearance for Rangers, against Celtic, was a horror show as he scored an own goal and was sent off for a challenge on Alistair Johnston all before half time.
He struggled in physical battles throughout the game, as shown by three duels won out of ten, and that was a common theme throughout the season as the English dud lost 51% of his ground battles in the Premiership.
This shows that he lost more duels on the deck than he won throughout the league campaign, as opposition players found it too easy to get the better of him.
Why Damian Garcia could brilliantly replace John Lundstram
Rangers could now brilliantly replace Lundstram by signing Garcia due to the young maestro's potential and quality out of possession in the middle of the park.
Firstly, he is a whopping ten years younger than the Englishman, at the age of 20, and this means that the Penarol star could come in as a long-term project for Clement, as there is plenty of time left for him to develop and improve over the years to come.
Secondly, the Uruguay U20 international could come in and offer more off the ball due to his defensive ability and athleticism, as shown by his form for club and country.
At the U20 World Cup in 2023, which his country won, Garcia caught the eye with 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 60%, with a 55% success rate in ground battles, across seven appearances.
The 5 foot 10 maestro, who was described as a "leader" by South American football writer Nathan Joyes, showcased his ability to retain possession at an impressive rate in deep build-up, by completing 91% of his passes in his own half, and displayed his defensive strength by dominating opposition players in duels.
Appearances
8
34
Pass accuracy inside own half
92%
92%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
2.5
Ground duel success rate
69%
49%
Aerial duel success rate
71%
55%
As you can see in the table above, Garcia also caught the eye at the 2023 U20 CONMEBOL Championship for Uruguay and outperformed Lundstram's defensive contributions in the Premiership.
The 20-year-old whiz, who has made 4.7 interceptions per game across 13 outings in the Primera Division for Penarol in 2024, is a reliable passer in deep possession who can dominate opponents off the ball as well.
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This is why the youngster could be a brilliant replacement for Lundstram as Rangers could bring in a midfielder who can be relied upon on and off the ball in the middle of the park, which was not the case for the English dud due to his defensive and physical struggles.
There is no guarantee that Garcia will be able to translate his form for Penarol or Uruguay's U20s over to the Premiership but his impressive performances suggest that it is a gamble worth taking for Clement and Koppen.