It's hard to believe but Rangers are on the verge of beginning their 2017/2018 season before the month of June has even finished.

The Light Blues host Luxembourg side Progres Niedercorn on Thursday night at Ibrox, kicking off what they hope will be a successful European campaign.

Pedro Caixinha hasn't wasted any time transforming the squad from last year's poor showing and it's a massively exciting time for supporters who will be eager to see some new faces in UEFA Europa League action.

The Light Blues have already made a massive eight signings this summer, seven of which are permanent deals and many of them have already featured for the club in friendly matches over the last couple of weeks.

It's perhaps hard to predict who will emerge as the stand-out stars of Pedro Caixinha's new look first team but we've given it a stab and we reckon these THREE new signings may well end up being the core of Rangers over the next 12 months...

Bruno Alves

Bruno Alves needs no introduction to anyone who follows European or international football. A bonafide Portuguese legend, he's won trophies throughout his career for teams like Porto, Zenit and Fenerbahce. The crown jewel in his honours list is of course last year's European Championship he won with Ronaldo and company in France.

It was a bit of coup when Pedro Caixinha unveiled him as Rangers' first signing of the summer and set the tone for the numerous exciting names that followed.

Fans may have to wait a while longer for him to make his debut as he is currently on international duty with Portugal at the Confederations Cup. Nonetheless, he's well placed to emerge as the star performer of the Rangers team over the next season.

At 35 he may not be the youngest player in the Scottish Premiership but he has an experience and pedigree unlike almost any other player in the division.

Rangers have needed a calming, accomplished presence in their backline and with Clint Hill leaving the club, Alves is a definite upgrade on their best defender last term.

Carlos Pena

Moving into midfield and the acquisition of Carlos Pena can also be seen as something of a coup for Rangers. Having spent the last couple of years signing players from the English lower leagues, it's a breath of fresh air for supporters to see the club go out and sign a Mexican international in the peak years of his career.

Having won trophies with Leon and Guadalajara in his homeland, he's embarking on a career in Europe and will likely be motivated to make an impression on the British football scene.

With 19 caps for Mexico, it's clear he has talent. As reported by The Daily Record, he's been described as a 'very good player who can control matches' by Mexican football legend Luis Garcia and could be the midfield presence the Light Blues have been looking for, for a while now.

Rangers were far too lightweight in the middle of the park last term and an accomplished international at 27 years of age working under a manager who knows all about him could be huge for the club over the coming season.

Alfredo Morelos

Alfredo Morelos is not a name that was known to almost every Rangers fan before he signed but his goalscoring record for HJK Helsinki is enough to get any supporter excited.

At the Finnish club he scored a fantastic 46 goals in 62 matches, including 16 in his last 19 for the club before signing for Rangers.

Although you'd hardly call the Finnish top-flight the strongest league in Europe, it's still an impressive return, especially for a player who has just turned 21.

With football in Finland played on a summer schedule he should be at peak fitness and could hit the ground running against relatively easy opposition like the team from Luxembourg who visit on Thursday night.

If he does that and gets his confidence up in the early part of the season he could score an absolute barrel-load for the club over the next 12 months and become the striker fans have been waiting for.