Glasgow Rangers are still on course to secure a remarkable treble and considering where the Ibrox side were back in September under Michael Beale, winning the Premiership this term could be on of their finest achievements.
The Gers lost three of their opening seven league matches under the current Sunderland manager, and he was eventually sacked, with Philippe Clement coming in to replace him.
While the football was not pretty and Beale failed to lead the club to a trophy during his disappointing ten-month stint, the Englishman did manage to make a few decent signings for the club.
Jack Butland, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin were all signed by Beale and have contributed well, most notably the former two.
Might he have missed out on another fine talent during his early stages in charge, however which could have transformed the second half of the 2022/23 campaign?
Rangers missed out on Cole Palmer in 2023
Having taken over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst towards the end of 2022, Beale led Rangers to nine wins and a draw in his first ten matches, but he was looking to bolster the team during the final weeks of the January transfer window.
According to the Sun, Rangers had a loan deal for Cole Palmer rejected by Manchester City during the dying embers of the transfer window as he still had a part to play under Pep Guardiola during the second half of last season.
Several other clubs also missed out on the chance to secure the talented Englishman on loan, and it certainly looked like an ambitious move by Beale at the time, yet if Palmer had joined, he would have vastly improved the Ibrox first team squad, no doubt about that.
The youngster went on to make a handful of appearances for City towards the end of the season, and he claimed winners medals in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League indicating that it was clearly the best move for him to remain with the club.
Despite looking like he had a promising future at City, Palmer was sold last summer to Chelsea and the move looks like it has certainly benefited the youngster, especially as he has secured more regular game time.
What happened to Cole Palmer
The 21-year-old joined the Stamford Bridge side for a £40m transfer fee prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, and it looks as though it could be a shrewd investment, especially judging by his start to life in London.
Lauded as “exceptional” by former boss Guardiola, Palmer looks destined to reach the very top of the game if he maintains his current form – now valued at €100m (£86m) by CIES Football Observatory.
So far this term, the Englishman has scored 12 goals for the Blues while chipping in with nine assists, and he is excelling, having been given regular opportunities by Mauricio Pochettino in the starting XI.
Indeed, among the Chelsea squad, Palmer is even ranked first for goals and assists (16), along with also leading the rest of the team with regard to shots on target per game (one), big chances created (eight) and key passes per game (1.5), clearly showcasing that he is now one of the finest players in the squad.
Not only that, but Palmer is also ranked in the top 10% when compared to his positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (6.3), along with ranking in the top 10% for assists per 90 (0.36) and the top 24% for shot-creating actions, indicating that not only is he shining for his team, but his performances also rank him highly when compared to players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues.
These statistics certainly build the narrative that he would have been a huge success if he had joined Rangers last season, even if it was only on a temporary basis, and he may well have been an upgrade to Cantwell.
Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers
Who knows what might have happened had Beale secured Palmer on a six-month loan deal, and he impressed during his spell in Glasgow. Could the Gers have signed him up for a further season-long deal?
It seems highly unrealistic, but if the club did, there is no doubt the 21-year-old would have been a far better option to call upon than Cantwell this term.
The former Norwich City starlet has improved in recent weeks and has now scored five league goals in his previous eight top-flight matches, taking his tally to six goals for the campaign.
This is still six behind the tally of Palmer, however, while Cantwell currently ranks fourth among the Ibrox squad for goals and assists (eight) in the Premiership, along with ranking sixth for shots on target per game (0.8), eighth for big chances created (three) and seventh for key passes per game (1.6), proving that while he springs to life during matches, at times, he can be inconsistent and this is something which needs to be worked out.
Against Ross County on Wednesday evening, however, the 25-year-old was sensational as he shone in his preferred number ten position.
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Cantwell not only made four key passes during the clash, but he also created two big chances, had a total of four shots and succeeded with two of his four dribble attempts.
The only thing which was missing was a goal or an assist, but his performance was pleasing on the eye and Clement would surely have been delighted to see him perform at such a high level.
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While missing out on Palmer was a blow for Beale last season, the Englishman has gone on to brighter things since joining Chelsea for £40m last summer, embracing the challenges of being a regular in the starting XI.
His recent success proved that Rangers had a mare on the youngster who is now thriving in the top flight, and he may have made all the difference as the Gers stumbled during the end of the 2022/23 season.
If he continues shining under Pochettino, he could soon see himself plucked from Chelsea as he has all the required attributes to shine for much bigger clubs. There is absolutely no doubt about that.