James Bisgrove's shock Rangers exit comes at awkward time as Ibrox hierarchy try to maintain calm amid transfer rush

A number of departures were anticipated at Rangers this summer – but it’s fair to say that chief executive James Bisgrove was not one of them.

It has therefore come as a shock at Ibrox that their CEO, just a year into his tenure in Govan, has been lured to the Middle East. Bisgrove is expected to take up a role with Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. The club are bankrolled by oil giants Aramco and were promoted to the Super League at the end of this season. Currently managed by ex-Olympiakos manager Michel, they will go on a summer spending spree to mingle with the other cash-rich clubs that populate the league.

Bisgrove, of course, was planning to spend money this summer at Rangers before Al Qadsiah came calling. One suspects his purse is now significantly larger, both personally and professionally. His exit cannot be filed as anything other as awkward for those that remain at Ibrox, though. Rangers are demanding compensation but his exit leaves a void that cannot be filled quickly. Chairman John Bennett will assume more duties in the interim.

James Bisgrove is leaving Rangers for the Saudi Arabian Pro League.

Bisgrove held the chief executive role for 13 months after moving up from the Ibrox commercial department. A confident and ambitious individual, he was quick to axe Michael Beale – who he did not appoint – back in September and played a lead role in installing Philippe Clement as first-team manager and Nils Koppen as director of football recruitment. He has spruced up Ibrox with new lounges and restaurants, has moved the signing section and departs with the club in a better place than it was when he arrived. There are plenty of strong operators within Rangers but there can be no denying a vital cog has been taken out of the machine at a time when Rangers require leadership.

In terms of squad modelling, there is a lot of work to be done at Rangers. Koppen and Clement, part of the wider football board at Rangers, would always assume the principal role in identification and scouting – and there are numerous players the club are looking at. Brazilian left-back Jefte is already in the door, Scotland goalkeeper Liam Kelly likely to follow. The deal for Levski Sofia’s Jose Cordoba has fallen through. This happens in football. Thomas Galdames, Damian Garcia and Stojan Lekovic are the latest names to be linked. Rangers need so many new players as they wave goodbye to a rump of experienced, seasoned players such as Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe.

Bisgrove’s role in this process was to oversee the signings project and ultimately give sign off from a financial perspective. His departure is unlikely to have a tangible impact on what type of player Rangers identify. Operationally, his exit proves more problematic, and leaves Ibrox devoid of a leader. It is an added headache for Bennett in particular, who would have wanted the club’s sole focus this summer to be replenishing Clement’s options. Rangers bridged the gap with Celtic to a degree last season but the pressure will be on the Belgian, and the club as a whole, to challenge Celtic once more.

That will not be Bisgrove’s concern as he hunts for properties in Khobar. Those that remain at Ibrox must continue the rebuilding process.