BOURNEMOUTH midfielder Emerson Hyndman, the American Under-20 captain, will become Mark Warburton’s first signing of the January transfer window after arriving in Glasgow yesterday to finalise a loan deal.

And Jon Toral of Arsenal is expected to fly in today from Spain, he has been on loan with Granada, and should become the second temporary acquisition made by the Rangers manager this month.

Both players have been on Warburton’s radar for some time, although he will have to make do, not for the first time at the club, with his signings agreeing to short-term deals. The two will be at Ibrox for the remainder of this season.

Read more: Games of our lives: Ray Wilkins recalls his favourite fixtures in a Rangers jersey

The hope is that the new signings will make their debuts for Rangers when they face Red Bull Leipzig in a friendly match in Germany next Sunday.

Hyndman, 20, is far from a household name but has been tipped by some well know figures in football as being something of a prospect. He moved from Fulham to Bournemouth last summer but failed to make any breakthrough this season at the English Premier League south coast club.

He had originally joined Fulham from FC Dallas when he was just 15 and arrived in London with an endorsement from Jurgen Klinsmann, then the USA national team’s head coach, ringing in his ears,

"Emerson is phenomenal,” said Klinsmann. “This kid came to our first game after the World Cup, and in our first training session he played like he was always with us. At that time he was barely 18. I said to my coach: ‘Are you seeing what I’m seeing?’ Everyone was like ‘woah.’"

Felix McGath, the former Bayern Munich manager who was at Fulham when Hyndman arrived from the States, was also impressed with the skill of such a slight teenager.

"I have never seen a player of his age play like he does - he passes like an old professional,” said McGath. “I’m sure he will be a good player. His role could be similar to the one that Andrea Pirlo plays, responsible for the forward play of the team from deep."

Read more: Games of our lives: Ray Wilkins recalls his favourite fixtures in a Rangers jersey

The comparison with Pirlo may be taking things too far; however, Rangers supporters should be encouraged by the fact that while Hyndman has managed only 27 senior appearances, all for Fulham in the Championship, there is a bit of hype surrounding him.

The same goes for 21-year-old Toral, who was on the bench as Malaga were thrashed 5-0 by Real Madrid on Saturday night, even if they come to Scotland as complete unknowns.

Hyndman, in an interview last week admitted, he would need to bulk up if he was to cope with the physicality of British football.

"I’m just working to improve every day on everything I can, whether it’s on the pitch like receiving a ball or off the pitch in getting bigger,” he said. "I’m fine height-wise, but obviously I could bulk up a little bit.

"I’m working hard on that and the more I’m in the gym, the more I’m going to be set up. It’s a different challenge really because I was always small for my age when I was younger, so I never thought about it. I’ve played with bigger guys all my life.

"But over the years, you realise that if you add another part to your game – whether it’s physical or your first touch - it can take you to a new level."