Glasgow Rangers went through a summer of change on the pitch as they sanctioned a number of arrivals and exits over the course of the transfer window.
Former Light Blues boss Michael Beale was allowed to bring in nine new signings to bolster his squad and endured a poor start to the season before being relieved of his duties at the start of this month.
Leon Balogun, Abdallah Sima, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes, and Jack Butland were all signed by the English tactician.
Kilmarnock
1-0 loss
Livingston
4-0 win
Ross County
2-0 win
Celtic
1-0 loss
St Johnstone
2-0 win
Motherwell
1-0 win
Aberdeen
3-1 loss
His signings were not enough to make the Gers a formidable force within the Scottish Premiership and the former Liverpool youth coach has since been replaced by Belgian head coach Philippe Clement.
The 49-year-old boss has arrived at Ibrox with a wealth of experience, having won four Pro League titles in Belgium, and has worked with some terrific talents during his career.
He has coached the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Benoit Badiashile, Noa Lang, Axel Disasi, and Leandro Trossard, among many other impressive gems.
The former Club Brugge tactician could now use the upcoming January transfer window to unearth his next version of one of those stars – Lang – by reigniting the club's interest in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke.
Were Rangers interested in Jack Clarke?
Football League World reported that the Scottish giants were one of a number of clubs interested in signing the English attacker from the Championship side.
The outlet named Everton, Burnley Crystal Palace, Brentford, and Wolves as some of the other teams who were eyeing up a possible swoop for the talented winger.
This shows that the Gers were facing serious competition to secure his signature as his performances had attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League in England.
Therefore, it could be difficult for Rangers to swoop for him during the upcoming January transfer window if those same clubs, and potentially others, are altered to his continually impressive displays at Championship level for Sunderland.
However, there is no harm in trying and that is why Clement must push for the board to reignite the interest that they had alongside Beale during the summer to strike an agreement for Clarke, if possible, as he could thrive under the new manager.
The Belgian coach has a track record of getting the best out of wingers and Lang is a prime example of that from his time with Club Brugge in his home country.
How many goals did Lang score for Clement?
He enjoyed a fantastic time in Belgium and caught the eye with 25 goals in 67 appearances across two seasons with Clement at Brugge earlier in their respective careers.
In total, the exciting winger produced 25 goals and 23 assists in those matches under the now-Rangers head coach and only managed 13 goals and 11 assists in 58 outings after the boss' move to AS Monaco at the start of 2022.
Lang showcased his ability to make a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position, with goals and assists – rather than being limited to one or the other.
The 24-year-old wizard was able to be a difference-maker week-in-week-out for Clement and is now getting back to his best form after a summer move to PSV.
He has racked up four goals and one assist in seven Eredivisie appearances so far this season, and featured in both matches against Rangers in their 7-3 Champions League play-off victory.
How many goals has Clarke scored this season?
The Sunderland star has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with an eye-catching return of eight goals in 12 Championship matches.
Like Noa Lang, Clarke is capable of playing on either flank and has proven himself to be a difference-maker in the final third with his ability to score goals and create chances.
He is yet to register a league assist this season but has his teammates to blame for that as they have not made the most of his two key passes per game.
The Gers target has accumulated 2.14 xA (Expected Assists) and created three 'big chances' for his fellow attackers, as per Sofsacore, which indicates that he does not deserve to be sat on zero assists.
How many goals did Clarke score last season?
His impressive form this term comes off the back of his return of nine goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship starts for the Black Cats last season.
Clarke, who completed two dribbles per match throughout the 2022/23 campaign, has racked up 17 goals and 12 assists at league level for Sunderland since the start of last season.
This shows that the English whiz is able to make a consistent impact in the final third from a wide position, with his ability to find the back of the net whilst also being able to create for others.
These statistics also suggest that the 5 foot 10 gem, who was once dubbed an "exciting" player by ex-Leeds forward Noel Whelan, could be Lang 2.0 due to his goal contributions from the wing as a young right-footed magician.
Should Rangers sign Clarke?
Clement should, therefore, swoop for the Championship star to take Scott Wright's position in the team after the Scottish dud started the manager's first game against Hibernian.
The former Aberdeen man has been in dismal form since the start of last season and Clarke could arrive as a huge upgrade on him for the Gers.
Wright has produced zero goals and zero assists in three Scottish Premiership outings so far this term, despite starting two of those matches, and has been sent off once.
This has come off the back of the 26-year-old lightweight's zero goals and one assist in 23 league games for the Ibrox giants throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
The ex-Dons winger has not been able to provide quality on a regular basis for Rangers, as evidenced by his woeful statistics, and Clarke's form for Sunderland indicates that he has the potential to offer significantly more than him at the top end of the pitch.
