Philippe Clement admits he must sell before he can buy this summer as he looks to wheel and deal in the transfer market to bolster his Rangers ranks ahead of the new campaign.

The Belgian has completed six deals so far this term as fees have been put down for the likes of Jefte, Oscar Cortes and Hamza Igamane. Connor Barron and Liam Kelly were Bosman recruits from Aberdeen and Motherwell respectively, while Clinton Nsiala arrived after rejecting a new deal with AC Milan.

Clement insisted that this summer would be the end of a cycle at Ibrox after seeing his side squander their chances of lifting the Premiership title and lose the Scottish Cup to Celtic last term. Doubts remain over the futures of several key members of the squad as supporters look for an extensive rebuild in the coming weeks.

Connor Barron is one of six new summer arrivals (Image: SNS)

That will be easier said than done, however. And Clement has opened up on the challenges that he faces to remodel a group that will begin their Premiership title challenge and Champions League campaign in a matter of weeks.

“That’s the reality,” Clement says when asked if his transfer plans were dependent on players leaving this summer. “That’s the reality that the board told me a few months ago.

“I know this, the recruitment team knows this also. This is the reality of the club. I had other expectations when I came in in October, I have to say.

“But I know the reality now. I am very motivated to build the club and help in that. It’s focusing not only on the short term but also on the long term.

“If I only looked at the short term I would only bring in experienced players who can do the job directly. Mistakes like that have been made too much in the past and at the end you don’t reach your goals.

“You need a different philosophy and that’s what we are all working towards. This is a massive rebuilding job, it is true.

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“Maybe some people would run away from that but, having been seven months in Glasgow, in this city, in the stadium, in the club, I have to say this club already took a big part of my heart in that way.

“I am really confident that we can work in stability the next months, the next years, that we can make a lot of things better in the club. We have been busy with that also.

“We have been changing staff in the medical department, in the performance department.

“It is all over the club that everybody is working really hard to make things better. At the end, it will benefit the cause of growing as a club.”