The European Championship is off and running as fans across the continent are given their football fix this summer. At Ibrox, all eyes are on next season as Philippe Clement shapes his Rangers squad for the new campaign.

It has been a hectic few weeks for Clement, alongside chairman John Bennett and Nils Koppen, the director of football recruitment. As ever, there have been plenty of talking points.

READ MORE: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours before the transfer window

The squad return to action at Auchenhowie next Monday to step up their preparations. Here, Chris Jack answers some of the questions that Rangers Review readers submitted on the main talking points of the summer so far.

Do you see the manager making changes to the medical department of the club?

The injury situation last season was unsustainable in football and financial terms. Millions of pounds were wasted on players who were unable to contribute over the course of the campaign and Clement was clearly irked by what he found and what he had to contend with. It has to change.

(Image: PA)

The fact that Rangers have had as many managers in a short space of time has not helped a long-standing problem and some continuity in the dugout and the support staff should benefit the squad as a whole. A Clement pre-season will be different from those that Michael Beale or Giovanni van Bronckhorst put together.

Like every area of the club, Rangers need to have the highest calibre of professional possible in each position. Every person and process should be under review this summer. Changes are expected.

If you had a choice of all of the players that Rangers have been linked to, what three players would you sign and why?

Two of them are not the most headline-grabbing signings but there is value in Liam Kelly and Connor Barron. Rangers need to increase their Scottish quota in the squad and having players who know the league and who can settle in quickly at Ibrox will be invaluable if they are deals that can be done. Barron would be a really useful addition in midfield given the loss of Ryan Jack and John Lundstram. Kelly is a decent back-up option but he is not a number one for a prolonged period and Rangers will have to spend some money if Jack Butland was to move on.

READ MORE: Champions League rules explained as Clement faces Rangers summer transfer puzzle

There haven’t been that many links to strikers so far this summer. Albion Rrahmani looks promising and is an interesting profile. If Aberdeen don’t place a ‘Rangers premium’ on Bojan Miovski then he would be a terrific buy. Clement needs to strengthen the No.9 position, ideally more than once. That mystery man could arguably be the most important signing of the window.

Is Clement the right guy to lead this Rangers rebuild? He’s had four attempts and not beat Celtic. Do you see him hitting ground running in new season?

The Old Firm record is a concern. A Rangers manager that cannot beat Celtic is, after all, no use as Rangers manager. Clement will point to mitigating circumstances in each of the derbies and will be confident the form can be changed once the squad situation has altered come the end of the window.

The board will back Clement. They have recognised their mistakes from last summer and are now investing in a process rather than a person. Ultimately, Rangers need to break this cycle of changing the boss every 12 months. That doesn’t mean you stick with one who isn’t fit for purpose but there have been enough positives from the Clement era so far to suggest that he is still on the right track.

With the manager promoting youth and buying youth - should Adam Devine get his chance next season?

I spoke to Adam for an exclusive interview a few weeks after he left for Motherwell and had to admire his mindset at that stage. He admitted that things hadn’t gone well for him to that point in the season and that he needed to leave and play first team football. Going to Fir Park was a good move for him and every minute played would have been beneficial.

READ MORE: Adam Devine exclusive: Rangers dreams, Clement belief and Motherwell

It is quite a big jump to go from there to the starting spot at Ibrox, though. If James Tavernier moves on, expect to see Dujon Sterling take over at right-back and get the chance to make that position his own. If Devine can prove himself in pre-season he could be the back-up for Clement but it looks a tall order as it stands. It would be good to see a boyhood fan make a name for himself.

What hope for the youth prospects currently at the club?

Devine is almost the perfect example of the situation that a number of academy graduates find themselves in right now. Ultimately, are they good enough? Devine was talked up when he made the breakthrough but sustaining that impact was difficult, while the likes of Leon King and Alex Lowry have never really looked like justifying the hype. Robbie Fraser and Cole McKinnon cannot be considered kids by this stage.

READ MORE: Ex-Rangers coach on why young Scottish players lack chances and leaving Ibrox

Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace still have time on their side and it will be telling what sort of impact they make early in the campaign. Clement may have the desire to put his faith in the next generation, but with so much at stake he has to be sure they can stand up and deliver. Rangers do need to get better at bringing through young players given the benefits on and off the park and there will be pressure on the next Head of Academy to deliver in that regard.

What is Clement’s backroom team going to look like next season? Is Andries Ulderink joining?

The links to Ulderink were pretty quickly dismissed when they first emerged earlier this year so it would be surprise if that move was to happen a few months on. There has been speculation about Alex Rae’s position as well but that, as far as I understand, won’t change next season and the club still see the benefit of having someone with his knowledge of the Scottish game and of Rangers on the staff.

Like the playing squad, every marginal gain has to be found and utilised so it will be something that Clement is considering I am sure. A set-piece specialist would be an interesting appointment, for example.

Why are we signing so many development players? Clement urgently needs first-team players who can immediately enhance Rangers. Second place won't cut it next year; we need to hit the ground running to challenge for the title.

Given that we are only in the middle of June and the recruitment work is far from complete, now is not the time to make judgements on the plan overall. It is all about balance. Clement had to inject a fresh impetus into the squad and assemble a group that could grow and win together in the coming seasons so it is no surprise that the profile of targets has changed.

READ MORE: Why Rangers chose transfer guru Nils Koppen to complete football board

That was something we covered extensively on the website when Nils Koppen was appointed. Rangers do need older heads and players that are a bit more streetwise and the links to Kenny McLean, for example, make perfect sense in that regard. The end of the window is a better time to discuss the rebuild.

How many wingers do you think we need?

Michael Beale assembled a squad to play without natural pace and width. Rangers then appointed a manager who likes to utilise natural pace and width. So it was clear that Clement was not going to be satisfied with the options that he had and that the flanks needed addressing as a priority. Oscar Cortes is a shrewd bit of business, especially given the structure of the deal, and Yusuf Kabadayi looks an interesting prospect if he can be brought in from Bayern Munich. 

Ross McCausland has done enough to merit a place in the squad but Scott Wright needs to move on and time will tell if Clement sees a future for Rabbi Matondo. A return for Abdallah Sima would be popular but it depends on the finances and the value for money. Clement needs at least two on either side so expect more work to be done to give the squad the balance that he is looking for.

Do you expect this to be a big window for Rangers? How many ins and outs do you predict?

There are no precise numbers, or certainly not ones that key figures at the club wish to be made public, in terms of the wheeling and dealing that will be done. It would be a surprise, though, if both columns are not into double digits sooner rather than later. That is the sort of turnover that Rangers require to address the issues within this group and Clement could have no complaints over the backing from the board if they sanctioned that many deals. The group is too big and too expensive.

READ MORE: How Koppen and Clement sold Nsiala on Rangers move amid Euro offers

There will be a focus on the net spend once again but, as always, it is about how Rangers use their budget rather than the quantum of it. If the right calls are made, both in terms of arrivals and departures, then the side and the squad should be in a far healthier position in a few weeks.

With players going out of contract next summer, has it already been established who will be offered renewals and if so when will that happen? If they are not being renewed, will they be listed or allow their contract to run down?

Given how strong Clement’s comments on the contract situation were over the last few months, it would be a shock if he doesn’t address this matter. It is not a priority, but it must be on the to-do list. Robby McCrorie will move this summer and it makes sense for Wright and Lowry to leave as well. If there is interest in Tom Lawrence, Rangers should be open to doing business.

Allowing players to run down their deals makes so sense from either football or financial perspectives. Even further ahead, there are seven deals up in the summer of 2026 and the squad has to be managed far more effectively than it has been over recent seasons.

With the current transfer budget set and planned movement of players about to begin, do you think Rangers will have a difference maker signing target planned if we make the Champions League proper?

All of the transfer plans need to be flexible given the moving parts involved in any deal. When you are looking to do as much business as Rangers are, you know you have to roll with the punches over the course of the window. Clement has already spoken about the challenge of assembling the squad for a defining run of fixtures in August and the European games are hugely significant on and off the park.

Clement will be backed as much as the board can to ensure Rangers are as well-equipped as possible for those ties in the third qualifying round and play-off round. If they get through, which is a tall order, hopefully that opens up possibilities late in the window. If only we knew the names on that particular wish list.

I’m surprised we’re not linked with Shankland this summer. What would Hearts look for, and do you think we will wait to January if he stays? He’s obviously not signing a new deal.

Do I think Lawrence Shankland would score goals for Rangers? Yes. Do I expect him to sign this summer? No. For all the chat and conjecture in January, there was little to suggest that Rangers were going to test the resolve of the Tynecastle board. At that stage, Rangers would have had to pay over the odds and it wouldn’t have made financial sense, especially given the outlay on strikers in the summer. His goal return speaks for itself but I think Clement would prefer a No.9 in a different mould. There will rightly be interest in Shankland this summer but I don’t expect it to come from Ibrox.