Philippe Clement admits Rangers NEED new signings for Europa League tilt but decision won't be his

Philippe Clement insists signing fresh talent will be “necessary” if Rangers are to build on their successful push for the Europa League last 16.

The Ibrox gaffer watched his side beat the odds to score a top eight finish on Thursday night by beating Union Saint Gilloise. And he’ll now be able to shake up the squad he’s registered with UEFA for the knock-out stages, with three changes permitted. So far, however, Clement has made just one January addition after signing defender Rafa Fernandes on loan from Lille. But with the transfer deadline set to slam shut at 11pm on Monday night, the Ibrox gaffer said he’d like to see more new arrivals.

He told Sky Sports: “I think it's necessary to make a next step with the squad in certain positions. We will see how far we will get because at the end it's the board who decides what money can be spent on that.”

Sporting director Nils Koppen has been busy this month but his time has been spent finding new clubs for Gers’ fringe men. The Belgian exec has succeeded in removing around £50,000 a week from the Ibrox wage bill after sending Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo on loan to Birmingham and Hannover 96.

The likes of Tom Lawrence could also be moved on having found game time hard to come by. And Clement hopes that will free up a path for kids such as Bailey Rice, Findlay Curtis and Paul Nsio to feature more regularly having recently made their top-team breakthroughs.

Asked if he expected more players to leave before Monday night, Clement said: “Not anymore much more. It can be that still people leave.

“Kieran and Rabbi were not playing much and had good wages, contracts out of the past, not the same contracts that the club can give anymore to new players. So that's also one of the