Rangers manager Walter Smith expects his recent spending spree to spark an exodus from Ibrox.

Smith has added to his midfield in the past week by bringing in on-loan Valencia teenager Aaron Niguez Esclapez and £3m buy Pedro Mendes from Portsmouth.

Rangers will learn on Friday whether American midfielder Maurice Edu has been granted a work permit, while Steven Davis is expected to tie up his permanent transfer from Fulham this week.

Smith had already spent more than £7m on strikers Kyle Lafferty, Kenny Miller and Andrius Velicka this summer.

The likes of Daniel Cousin and Jean-Claude Darcheville could now find themselves surplus to requirements and Smith expects some players to head for the exit door.

"Of course, given that we have now increased the squad, that will mean that some players are going to be unhappy because they are not getting a game," Smith told Rangers World.

"So some of them may leave during this transfer window and that may be an obvious thing.

"There are a few in that category and I think they would like permanent moves rather than loans."

Smith believes the capture of Mendes and the opening Clydesdale Bank Premier League wins over Falkirk and Hearts have lifted the gloom at Ibrox following defeat by FBK Kaunas in the Champions League qualifiers.

"The obvious disappointment of going out of Europe to Kaunas was difficult for everyone in the group to overcome," he said.

"We felt we needed a boost and we got that initially with the win over Falkirk and then the game with Hearts, which was an important one because it was the first home SPL game of the season.

"The addition of Pedro Mendes in that game was also a factor. And I think, overall, we can say that we are over the Kaunas result.

"Of course, it will always be a huge regret to everyone that was involved. But I now feel we have moved on and we can get on with our season."

The influx of midfielders has come too late to save Rangers' European season but Smith believes they can help improve his team's entertainment value.

"We had been working away behind the scenes to try to get the players we wanted but we were not able to do so in our preferred time slot," he added.

"However, we have achieved that now. Pedro Mendes came in last week and young Aaron too.

"We've agreed everything in terms of Maurice Edu and we now wait for the work permit application and in the Steve Davis situation there are one or two small things to be tidied up.

"I felt that one of the improvements we had to make was overall possession of the ball and make better use of it. Barry Ferguson took the brunt of that but you need the whole midfield to join in and help out.

"So I think each of the players we are bringing in will improve us in our overall ability of holding the ball plus the ability to get forward and support."

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