Jack Butland became Rangers’ third summer signing earlier this week in a window that’s already demonstrated some very smart business.

Add the January arrivals of Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin into the mix and all five of Michael Beale’s signings for the club have been the product of exploiting the Bosman market. With Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell already signed up for the new season.

Yes, there were fees involved for both Cantwell and Raskin but deals were struck on the back of contract agreements with both players leaving Norwich and Standard Liege, who each had six months left on their deals.

To date, Rangers are going about their business intelligently.

I’ve never been one to moan about the amount of money that Rangers are spending, focusing instead on how that money is being spent. Is the outlay being matched by the return and is cash being spent in the right order of priority?

Certainly looking back to last summer, criticism has to be levelled at the return on investment, which is why exploiting the free agent market successfully this summer is so important.

To get five players in for roughly £3million looks like smart business, even if the proof will be on the pitch. Of course, signing-on fees and wages come into the equation but if the three already signed up this summer play anything like our January additions then we’re onto a winner.

This is where common sense comes into play. Beale needs time to build his vision and recruit players who fit his mould. The club don’t have an endless pot of gold to buy superstars or recruit finished products. Instead, the task is to maximise resources in order to get the best value for money.

That's why, for this writer, Butland is a sensible and worthwhile signing. In a normal transfer window, under contract, Jack would cost Rangers a fair bit of money. On the flip side, it’s not a dangerous deal because as a homegrown English goalkeeper, he will always retain market value. It’s not like we’ve given a long contract to someone without any sort of exit strategy.

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That’s the worst-case scenario, however. What we have is a player with tremendous experience, England's youngest international goalkeeper and someone who has an obvious hunger and desire to play first-team football again.

Butland had a very healthy offer to sit and be a reserve at Manchester United, instead, he has chosen first-team football and the challenge of becoming a successful No.1 once again at Ibrox. Playing for a club where the pressure and demands are more intense than most others.

Staying at Old Trafford was the easy choice. The fact that Butland’s demonstrated a desire to succeed at Rangers and redirect his career trajectory is very promising indeed. 

And that excitement promises to only grow if further linked names follow Butland through the door.

Jose Cifuentes may very well be next, given he’s out of contract in December and seems to have said his goodbyes to the LAFC support. The midfielder’s another exciting profile, with a box-to-box style in midfield that will bring more quality to an area already boosted by those aforementioned January arrivals.

If it comes to pass, Cifuentes’ signing is another clever move by Beale and his team.

A small fee to finalise that deal will bring in a player with plenty of promise, potential and desire to kick on.

That's what is just as exciting as the quality any arrival will possess, the fact that these signings are travelling up the road with a point to prove. Choosing the unique challenges and rewards that come with playing at Ibrox.

Rangers seem to be getting it right and given the summer remains in its infancy, that’s key. This squad needs to be in a healthy place when the Champions League qualifiers roll around and early arrivals can certainly help.

Now, having secured a player who can be a game-changer in one box it’s time to recruit players capable of winning matches at the other end. That’s the big challenge, get the recruitment right in the forward areas and we will have a platform for success.

If Butland, Sterling, Dowell and those still to arrive match the levels shown by Raskin and Cantwell, the support have reason for optimism that Beale's eye for recruitment can catalyse success.