Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement and new head of recruitment Nils Koppen wasted little time in looking to shape the squad to their will during the recent January transfer window.
They brought in three new signings to bolster the playing group as Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, and Fabio Silva all came through the door.
The Light Blues duo also allowed some players to move on from Ibrox, including Jose Cifuentes and Sam Lammers – who had been signed on permanent deals by former head coach Michael Beale last summer.
Their departures were a damning indictment on the work done in the transfer market by the English tactician in 2023, as two of his signings were allowed to leave on loan.
It is now being reported that the club are prepared to sanction a permanent exit for Lammers, who does not appear to have a future at Ibrox beyond this summer.
Latest Rangers transfer news
According to Football Insider, the Scottish giants are prepared to listen to offers for the Dutch forward, as they look to cash in on the former Atalanta flop.
Rangers reportedly agreed a £3.5m deal with the Italian side to sign Lammers on a permanent deal ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, but they are now attempting to recoup some of that at the end of the season.
The left-footed attacker joined FC Utrecht on loan in January. However, it remains to be seen whether or not they want, or are able, to make it a permanent deal later this year.
Football Insider state that Clement is unlikely to change his mind on the 26-year-old forward, who he was willing to send out on loan in January, which is why a permanent exit from Glasgow is now on the cards for him in the summer transfer window.
The Belgian head coach may already have his dream, homegrown, replacement for Lammers in the academy set-up as 18-year-old wizard Archie Stevens could emerge as a first-team option.
FootballTransfers report that Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all showing an interest in the teenage whiz ahead of the summer.
The outlet claims that his performances for Rangers B have caught the eye of several English sides, and that he is deemed to be one of the brightest young talents in Glasgow at the moment.
Koppen and Clement must now ensure that they can convince the English dynamo to turn down interest from the Premier League by offering him a chance to play first-team football as a Lammers replacement next season.
Sam Lammers' stats for Rangers
It would not take much of a contribution from the teen starlet to replace the Dutchman as the £3.5m summer signing failed to make a big impact on the pitch during the first half of the campaign.
Signed from Atalanta, Lammers produced two goals and one assist in 17 appearances for Rangers in a multitude of positions; including the wing, as an attacking midfielder, and as a striker.
He scored two goals from an Expected Goals (xG) of 4.71. Despite leaving the club on loan in January, the Gers flop currently has the second-worst xG difference with -2.71 – only Cyriel Dessers has underperformed his xG by more, with 12 goals from 15.1 xG.
Cyriel Dessers
15.1
12
-3.1
Sam Lammers
4.71
2
-2.71
Danilo
6.68
4
-2.68
Connor Goldson
2.06
0
-2.06
John Souttar
2.4
1
-1.04
The 26-year-old lightweight also ranked 25th in the squad for key passes per game (0.3), which shows that he rarely provided quality as a creator of chances for his teammates.
Lammers created one 'big chance' for his fellow attackers in those 17 league outings, and these statistics illustrate how little of an impact he made on the pitch. The Beale flop did not contribute with goals, assists, or key passes on a regular basis for the Light Blues, which is why it was the right decision to let him leave on loan.
He has found his form in the Eredivisie for Utrecht with three goals and three assists in ten league appearances since his loan move to the club, but there is no guarantee that his performances in the Netherlands would translate back over to Scotland and the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers are now looking to part ways with him on a permanent basis and Stevens, amid interest from several Premier League teams, could step up as a homegrown replacement for the Dutch dud.
Why Archie Stevens could replace Sam Lammers
The 18-year-old gem made his debut for the first-team at the age of 16 against Queen of the South in the League Cup, which speaks to how highly he was rated by the club at the time.
Stevens, who was hailed as a "highly-effective" talent by his former academy manager Michael Hamilton, is an England U18 international and currently plays for Rangers at youth level.
Unfortunately, Transfermarkt do not have his U18 statistics for the Light Blues this season but the academy have posted on X about his goals against RB Bragantino, Jeonbuk, Motherwell (x2), Aberdeen, whilst Rangers Youth Blog covered his strike against Dundee last month.
This means that the teenage talent has scored at least six goals for the U18s and B team combined throughout the season. However, it remains unknown as to how many assists the talented gem has provided during that period.
As you can see in the clip above, Stevens brilliantly powered his way into the box and delivered a pinpoint left-footed finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-3 against Celtic in the Scottish Youth Cup final at the end of last season.
Unfortunately, the Gers went on to lose 6-5 in extra-time in a thrilling final but his strike during the first half showcased his ability in the final third, as he showed drive and skill to get into the penalty area and find the back of the net.
He is, evidently, a goalscoring talent who can operate out wide or down the middle as a number ten, like Lammers, and that is why Stevens could emerge as a replacement for the Utrecht loanee, who failed to show such quality and drive at the top end of the pitch.
The Rangers academy prospect has impressed enough to garner interest from the Premier League and should now be offered a chance to showcase his skills as a first-team option in the summer, with a view to him being a dream heir to the Dutchman's place in the squad.
He would be a dream option to come through as a senior forward for Clement to pick from next season as the former AFC Wimbledon star would be a homegrown player, rather than a multi-million pound addition to the side, and not cost a penny to bring in.