Rangers are closing in already on their first formal summer signings after it was confirmed the club are working on Panama international José Ángel Córdoba Chambers who attended Ibrox at the weekend, while also stepping up efforts on winger Óscar Cortés with discussions NOW opening properly with Ligue 1 side Lens.

Rangers 100% are planning for next season, while keeping on a small eye on this campaign – the existing squad and manager will try for 56, but the importance has become a serious squad overhaul for next season with it clear a glut of players are to leave this June and new blood is needed.

It is viewed that a serious preseason will deliver Mohamed Diomande as almost like a new player with a full proper summer behind him, plus the same sentiments for the Colombian Cortes and obviously the-likely-incoming Panama star Chambers, not to forget Brazilian striker Danilo.

That would be four ‘new’ players off the bat, with three of them already on our books – of course Diomande’s £4.5M obligation means we WILL be signing him permanently whether we like it or not at the £4.5M, showing that he and Cortes will cost up to £9M off the bat unless Rangers can negotiate a better deal for the winger.

Danilo is probably not massively suited to the SPL but we’ve hardly had much time to watch him – his scoring record is pretty good for us in the minutes we’ve seen of him but end of the day the former Feyenoord striker is a bit of an unknown quantity to Rangers fans still.

But it’s the stepping up of Chalmers – Rangers want to get defence fixed next season – it’s not mega-likely Leon Balogun will get his new deal, while Connor Goldson is a busted flush now but on a ridiculous £40,000 a week. Ben Davies isn’t part of plans going forward, and John Souttar is basically the only alpha stopper we have who’s actually fit and part of Clement’s plans.

So Chalmers is definitely needed, along with Paddy McNair if we’re honest.

Fee? We speculate the Panamanian will be around £1.5M at most, and he is a talent – he’s a strong stopper and he’s big, and has a strong reputation with experience at a big Bulgarian club in Sofia. His value is around £3M+ but he’s final year of deal so won’t cost that.

And it appears negotiations are very much underway to secure him.

Summer business has indeed begun.