Glasgow Rangers have shown a resurgence somewhat since returning to action following the international break.
Michael Beale’s side had won just four of their opening nine matches of the campaign and defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Celtic looked like it would derail their confidence before the season even got started.
Despite a chorus of boos ringing out at Ibrox following the 1-0 win over Motherwell last weekend, a four goal rout of Livingston looked like it could spark the club back into life with a hectic fixture list ahead.
With nine summer arrivals, Beale has struggled to get the majority of them firing on all cylinders, and it has been Jack Butland who has been the standout performer so far for the Ibrox side.
The Gers missed out on a few players this summer who would certainly have made a positive impression in the squad, as the likes of Luis Palma, Auston Trusty and Morgan Whittaker all joined other clubs despite being linked with moves to the Light Blues across the summer transfer window.
This is a recurring theme for Beale as he also missed out on a few talented players only months after he took over the Glasgow side back in the winter transfer window, with one demonstrating that he has an extremely bright future in the Premier League.
Did Rangers nearly sign Cole Palmer?
The 2022/23 season proved to a disastrous one for the Gers as they failed to win any domestic silverware while they finished bottom of their Champions League group, losing all six of their matches, and it eventually cost Giovanni van Bronkhorst his job.
Beale took charge in November and by the time January rolled around, the club were aiming to bolster their squad mid-season.
The former QPR boss managed to lure Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin to Scotland, and they fitted his vision of adding players who not only could improve the starting XI, but who would also be a key for any future success.
The 43-year-old could well have added more players to his squad, yet he missed out on them and one of the more surprising names linked was that of then Manchester City midfielder Cole Palmer.
In the dying embers of the transfer window, Beale reportedly had a loan offer for the youngster rejected by City as Pep Guardiola sought to keep him in Manchester as they continued their assault on a potential treble.
It was certainly a surprising approach in the first place from the manager, yet Palmer could have injected the club with the spark that they needed at the time and who knows what a move may have led to, especially if he had impressed in Glasgow.
Where is Cole Palmer now?
Remaining at City, Palmer eventually went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions as he helped the club win yet another Premier League title along with the FA Cup and Champions League titles.
Not a bad collection of trophies to win for a 21-year-old, and it signalled just how impressive a future he could have if he continued his wonderful development.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Palmer currently ranks in the top 1% for pass completion percentage per 90 (86.2%) while also ranking in the top 1% for progressive carries per 90 (6.54), top 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (6.71) and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90 (2.93) which indicates that he is among one of the finest performers with regard to these metrics.
This clearly impressed Chelsea, who showed interest in the starlet during the summer transfer window, and they finally landed him on deadline day for a transfer fee in the region of £40m.
He signed a seven-year deal and seemed delighted to join the Blues, saying: "I'm excited to get started and it feels great to sign. I've joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents.
"It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special here."
Despite only having 41 senior matches behind him as a professional, £40m represented a major gamble, yet it could be one which is going to eventually turn into a bargain.
How is Cole Palmer performing this season?
As previously mentioned, the summer arrivals are struggling to make their mark in the Rangers side, especially across the forward areas and had Palmer joined on loan back in January and impressed, Beale may have had a chance at extending this, and he would certainly have given the club an extra attacking spark.
He has yet to start a league game for Chelsea this term, yet has created one big chance, averaged one key pass per game and succeeded with 0.8 dribble attempts – a success rate of 75% – suggesting that he can still make a positive impact despite the lack of minutes.
Mauricio Pochettino gave the Englishman his first start for the Stamford Bridge outfit during the midweek EFL Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion, and it proved to be a stroke of genius.
Across his 75 minutes on the pitch, Palmer grabbed an assist, made two key passes, created a big chance and took two shots in what was a display of attacking intent which the Blues clearly required to get their season up and running.
His potential is vast and had he joined the Gers on loan last season, he may have proved to be the difference which would have given the club a better chance at claiming a trophy or two.
Of course, the Light Blues could never compete with a club willing to spend £40m on a player yet missing out on securing a talent such as his, even on a temporary basis, proved to be a major transfer blunder by Beale, especially considering how poorly they finished the 2022/23 campaign.
Even Guardiola has dubbed the youngster as “exceptional” and the next few years should see him go from pure raw potential into one of the finest players on the continent.
