Rangers have had a decent season so far in their return to the Scottish Premiership. The Gers find themselves in the third position in the table but haven’t been at their best and as a result, former manager Mark Warburton was let go, with Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha taking over at the Ibrox Stadium.
The former Al-Gharafa boss led the Light Blues to a 4-0 win over Hamilton Academical in his first game in-charge and filled the fans with positive signs. However, for them to challenge Celtic for the top honours next season, serious investment in the transfer window is a must.
Chairman Dave King admitted as such, claiming that he is willing to back his new manager to the hilt in the transfer window. Asked if funds would be available to Caixinha, King said:
“Of course. This season has been disappointing, but I believe the squad is better than their results, and the new manager will get more out of them.”
Gers managing director Stewart Robertson also insisted money will be available to strengthen the squad. He said:
“We know we are going to have to invest in the team to strengthen the squad and to take it forward. So all of these things are there. We need that. Without that we won’t take Rangers forward.”
With the board willing to back the new boss in the transfer market, here we draw up a potential list of three targets that could bring value to Ibrox, come next season:
Callum Paterson
Rangers’ James Tavernier is reportedly wanted by former manager Mark Warburton at Nottingham Forest. The 25-year old right-back has had a difficult campaign and has had to often bear the brunt of the fans.
And one man who could be the perfect replacement is Hearts defender Callum Paterson. The right-back outperformed Tavernier when the two teams met back in November last year. However, a knee injury has hampered his progress, having ruled him out of the season. The right-back is expected to be fit only in early September next year and with Hearts manager Ian Cathro confirming that the player could be on his way out of the club in the summer as his contract nears expiration, Rangers could well make a move.
With Lee Hodson and Rob Kiernan available to fill in at right-back until Paterson regains full fitness, some patience in the early part of the season could bring great rewards in the future.
Emerson Hyndman
The Bournemouth loanee has impressed heavily since arriving in January this year at the Ibrox. So much so that the fans have been urging the club to sign him permanently.
The American midfielder has been in fine form of late and has been contributing greatly with goals from the midfield. Hyndman has scored 4 times in the Scottish Premiership from eight appearances and has been earning rave reviews for his performances.
The lure of Premier League football with Bournemouth will be a constant temptation for the 20-year old midfielder, but having fallen behind in the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium, a potential move to one of Scotland’s biggest clubs could well tempt him.
Ali Crawford
The new manager, Caixinha, in one of his first interviews after arriving, hailed Hamilton Academical attacker Ali Crawford, claiming that he thinks the Accies star is a “very very good player.
Crawford has had a great season personally with the struggling Accies, having scored 9 goals and assisted 6 more from 32 appearances across all competitions. With Hamilton looking set to get relegated from the Premiership at the end of the season, it could very well be the case of the player switching clubs in the summer.
The versatile midfielder, who can play out wide on the left or through the midfield, has a contract that will expire in the summer of 2018 and Accies could look to cash in on him. With Caixinha being a great admirer of the player, we could see Crawford at the Ibrox next term.