The list of considerations when recruiting any player is lengthy and every t must be crossed and i dotted before a deal is signed, sealed and delivered.

Given the scale of the rebuild that Rangers and Philippe Clement must undertake this summer, the task of assembling a squad and a team will be no easy one for the Belgian and those that he will work most closely with – Nils Koppen, the director of football recruitment, and chairman John Bennett - ahead of the new campaign.

One key factor in the wheeling and dealing has perhaps been overlooked by many supporters. Yet the rules and regulations for UEFA competitions must be at the forefront of multiple minds at Ibrox as Clement gears up for a crack at the Champions League in a matter of weeks.

Here, the Rangers Review details the criteria that Rangers will have to meet in order to name their squad for the upcoming qualifiers. Before Clement can put a team on the pitch, Rangers have boxes to tick and paperwork to complete.

What are the UEFA registration rules?

Every club that participates in European competition must submit two lists – the A List and the B List – of registered players to the governing body before they can take to the field in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. These lists must include the surname and first name, date of birth, shirt number and name, nationality and national registration date of all players to be utilised in the relevant competition, as well as the details of the head coach and his primary assistant. Clubs must also provide confirmation that all players have undergone the required medical examinations and that is a duty for the registered club doctor.

Who can make up the numbers on List A?

A maximum of 25 players can be named on List A, at least two of whom must be designated goalkeepers. A minimum of eight spots are reserved for ‘locally trained players’ and no club may have more than four ‘association-trained players’ in those eight reserved berths. If a club has fewer than eight locally trained players in their group, the maximum number of players that can be registered is reduced accordingly.

READ MORE: What's changed in Rangers' transfer structures from Beale to Clement - Chris Jack

This is where the majority of the summer recruits at Rangers will come in. Brazilian left-back Jefte, for example, will be a List A player, just like Jack Butland or Cyriel Dessers were last term. Of those that departed, the likes of Borna Barisic and John Lundstram were in this category and their spots will be taken on a one out, one in basis as Clement looks to add strength and depth.

What is a locally trained player?

These places are split into two respective categories, one for club-trained players and one for association-trained players. This will require some careful planning from Rangers this summer given that Ryan Jack, an association-trained player, has left the club and Robby McCrorie, a club-trained player, looks set to exit. It is one of the attractions of a move for Liam Kelly given that the 28-year-old spent his formative years within the Auchenhowie academy.

UEFA define a club-trained player as one who ‘between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons (i.e. a period starting with the first official match of the relevant national championship and ending with the last official match of that relevant national championship) or of 36 months.’

In addition, the season preceding a player’s 15th birthday may be counted if it is after the final fixture in the relevant domestic league but before or on June 30. At the other end of the scale, the 21st birthday can be counted if it is on or after July 1 but before the opening game in the national championship.

READ MORE: Rangers goalkeeper transfer state of play: Butland, McCrorie future and Kelly arrival

An ‘association-trained player’ is defined as ‘a player who, between the ages of 15 (or the start of the season during which the player turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which the player turns 21), and irrespective of the player's nationality and age, has been registered with a club or with other clubs affiliated to the same association as that of the player's current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons (i.e. a period starting with the first official match of the relevant national championship and ending with the last official match of that relevant national championship) or of 36 months.’ As an example, Scott Wright meets the criteria here because he spent time at Aberdeen before moving to Rangers.

Clement could be left with a shortage of Scots within his ranks and this could become an issue. Going forward, Clement would either have to shop locally for the best homegrown players or accept having a smaller group at his disposal over the course of the European campaign.

Who is eligible for a place on List B?

Clubs are allowed to register an unlimited number of players on List B during the term, but the list needs to be submitted no later than 24:00 CET the day before a match, regardless of the competition. At least three goalkeepers must be named across the List A and List B submissions.

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This section covers academy players and is open to those who were born on or after January 1, 2003. Each player must, since their 15th birthday, have been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years, or ‘a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year’.

In Rangers terms, this is where youngsters such as Johnly Yfeko and Cole McKinnon are registered, while Leon King and Ross McCausland were also named on List B last season. In years to come, Rangers must become more successful - for both football and financial reasons - at promoting players through the ranks and into first team action.

Can clubs change their squads during the campaign?

For the qualifying fixtures and the play-off round, a club can register a maximum of two new eligible players on List A after the relevant deadlines for that match. The quotas as previously outlined still apply and the paperwork must be filed before 24.00CET on the day before the first leg of the tie. Players, therefore, cannot feature in the second leg if they are signed after the first has taken place. If the addition of a new player causes the number of players on List A to exceed 25, the club must remove a currently registered player to comply with the maximum number of players permitted.

UEFA also state that following ‘the completion of the league phase and before the start of the knockout phase, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition.’

Has this caused issues for Rangers previously?

Clement made reference to the situation he inherited from Michael Beale on a couple of occasions as he was left short of options for the Europa League group fixtures following his appointment in October. Ahead of the knockout defeat to Benfica, he made the permitted three alterations to the squad and insisted he was ‘not totally aligned’ with Beale’s thinking.

READ MORE: Inside James Bisgrove's Rangers exit: Talks timescales, finances and transfer plans

Ridvan Yilmaz, Leon Balogun and Kieran Dowell were omitted from the submission ahead of the group stage. Yilmaz, Mohamed Diomande and Fabio Silva were the three additions for the Benfica tie as Rangers were restricted to just 22 players on List A. The absence of Yilmaz from the original selection left Clement with no replacement for the injured Barisic in Prague, while Oscar Cortes was the only one of the January recruits to miss out.

What are the key Champions League dates for Rangers?

Clement’s side will begin their European campaign in the third qualifying round. The draw for that stage will be held on July 22 and the first squad list must be sent to Nyon the following week. If Rangers lose, they drop into the Europa League. If they win, they progress to a play-off, with the winner then taking their place in the new eight-team league style format that has been devised for this season.

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Rangers will be seeded for their first round of the competition and could face a rematch with Union Saint-Gilloise or a glamour tie against Fenerbahce, now managed by Jose Mourinho. Given the finances on offer in the revamped competitions, Clement will need no reminding of the significance of these early fixtures.

“It is a massive challenge because there is not much time,” Clement said after the Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic. “That is the reality. You have qualifying games for Champions League in August, you have five league game also so that is nine games in four weeks. You need to rebuild the squad. We have several players out of contract who will leave the building so you need to replace them without money coming inside. That is also one thing. We need to be really inventive in our transfers and doing the smart things.”

That switched on thinking is not just about signing the best players. This is a squad that needs some tartan talent - either homegrown or bought in - added to it as well.