David Hopkin is set to waste little time in making his mark at Rangers, with St Mirren teenage sensation Marcello De Barros emerging as one of the first academy prospects on the club's radar.
The 15-year-old defender has attracted widespread attention after becoming St Mirren's youngest-ever debutant, coming on as a substitute for the Saints in a League Cup win over Dumbarton this month, underlining why he is regarded as one of Scotland's brightest young talents.
Hopkin is expected to join Rangers from Crystal Palace as head of academy scouting, working under Dan Purdy as the club continues its overhaul of the recruitment department.
One of his earliest priorities is understood to be assessing the country's leading academy prospects, with De Barros featuring prominently among the names being monitored.
The teenager's rapid rise has not gone unnoticed across Britain.
De Barros's early Paisley breakthrough
Despite being just 15, De Barros has already broken into St Mirren's first-team picture and is viewed as one of the most technically gifted youngsters to emerge from the Paisley club's academy in recent years, with the teenager having already had a trial with Arsenal.
His performances have reportedly alerted several clubs outwith the Gunners, with Rangers now among those closely tracking the development of the half-Scottish, half-Brazilian starlet.
The move would fit perfectly with the recruitment strategy Rangers have been building behind the scenes.
Rather than focusing solely on established first-team players, the club has increasingly targeted emerging talent capable of developing into future first-team regulars or valuable assets.
Hopkin arrives at Ibrox with an impressive record in that area.
During his spell at Crystal Palace, he helped identify Justin Devenny before the Northern Ireland international completed his move from Airdrieonians and progressed into the Premier League club's senior squad.
Rangers believe Hopkin's experience in spotting elite young talent can strengthen their academy pathway and ensure the club competes with Premier League sides for Scotland's best prospects.
The Ibrox side have already invested heavily in rebuilding their football structure following the departures of Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell at the end of 2025.
Dan Purdy now leads the recruitment operation, while Hopkin's expected arrival further strengthens the academy scouting network.
A busy first-team picture for Rangers
Meanwhile, Derek McInnes continues reshaping the first-team squad after the arrivals of Ivan Pandur, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin, with Vanja Dragojevic's £4million move from Partizan all but completed ahead of an official announcement.
As Rangers look to challenge immediately under McInnes, they are also planning for the future, and landing one of Scotland's most exciting 15-year-olds would represent another significant statement of intent in the club's long-term recruitment strategy.
The Gers also have Kyle Glasgow and Ashton Scally making waves in the youth section, Glasgow impressing early on with his loan to Alloa Athletic while Scally made his debut against Falkirk on the final day of last season in the Scottish Premiership.
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