Rangers are closing in on a £17 million sale of Nicolas Raskin to Spanish La Liga side Villarreal as the club looks to reshape its midfield.
The Belgian midfielder impressed at the World Cup and has attracted significant interest from top clubs across Europe in the weeks since.
Manchester United were among those keeping close tabs on Raskin, but sources in Spain now indicate Villarreal have moved ahead of the competition.
Raskin is expected to become Inigo Perez’s first signing, with the deal worth approximately €20 million to the Ibrox club.
Rangers manager Derek McInnes had previously admitted he would need to sell before bringing in further recruits, making this development a significant turning point.
The funds freed up by Raskin’s departure are expected to give McInnes the financial flexibility required to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.
A deal for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl had appeared to be in danger of collapsing, with well-placed Ibrox sources raising doubts just 24 hours ago.
However, freelance journalist Sam Cohen claims a third bid from Rangers has seen them make “significant progress,” with a deal worth €7.8m now looking back on.
Hjerto-Dahl has made clear his desire to complete a move to Ibrox, adding further encouragement that a deal can be finalised.
Separate from that uncertainty, Rangers’ pursuit of Partizan Belgrade captain Vanja Dragojevic is understood to be a formality, with a £4 million move close to completion.
The 20-year-old spent two years at the Serbian club before earning his move to Scotland, and his departure has prompted a heartfelt response from his manager.
Partizan boss Sasa Ilic, a former Galatasaray and Red Bull Salzburg star, offered warm words for his outgoing skipper as the deal neared conclusion.
Ilic said: “Our previous captain Vanja has now left us and I wish him all the best in his future career.”
He added: “Every coach in the world wants as many quality players as possible to increase the competition, but it depends on the possibilities and certain things within the club.”
Ilic also said: “I hope that we will bring in a few more names who will bring extra class, which is much needed after his departure.”
The Partizan boss noted: “We have already signed four new players, but it is clear we will need some more new players now.”
He concluded: “Partizan works in such a way that we are dependent on selling players due to our financial issues.”
If all three deals are completed, Rangers will have sold a key midfielder while simultaneously investing heavily in two replacements to maintain their competitive edge.
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