With not long to go now until the transfer window closes, have Rangers been catching up whilst their rivals stand still?
Despite both Aberdeen also in the hunt to try and close the gap on Celtic, it’s the Ibrox side who have financed an overhaul of the squad under Steven Gerrard.
The Liverpudlian has brought in an incredible 11 new talents to the club since arriving back in June, and the early signs throughout the pitch have been promising.
And it looks as though Rangers are moving forward with their squad recruitment as rivals stand still
It’s been clear to supporters of the club that Gerrard’s new-look side is a vast improvement on last season. The performances against Shkupi and Osijek in the Europa League showed a streetwise nature to the side that hadn’t been seen in previous years, whilst there’s a noticeable increase in drive and solidity across the midfield and defence.
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Scott Arfield, Lassana Coulibaly, Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, and Allan McGregor are just some of the signings that have made a big improvement to the squad, but what about the Gers’ rivals?
It was clear on Sunday at Pittodrie that Rangers can soar past Aberdeen in the Premiership this season if they can be as consistent in performance levels as they were last week.
Aberdeen have failed to strengthen after losing several of their key players last season. Greg Stewart, Ryan Christie, and Adam Rooney all departed whilst their replacements in Sam Cosgrove, Chris Forrester, and Stephen Gleeson haven’t impressed so far.
It remains early days, but Rangers look like they have the quality and determination in their side to have Aberdeen by the throat after a grim-looking transfer window for the Dons.
Champions Celtic remain the utopia for the Bears, but it’s a valid point to put forward in that Brendan Rodgers’ men are weakened from the side which ended last season as double-treble winners.
Stuart Armstrong and Erik Sviatchenko are out the door, whilst speculation continues about the future of first-choice centre-back Dedryck Boyata.
Celtic may have been stockpiling cash with successive Champions League qualifications in recent years, but their failure to sign John McGinn as well as the addition of just two players to the squad shows a hesitancy to improve.
Meanwhile, Rangers have been replacing the deadwood with a mixture of seasoned pros and young prospects from England and central Europe.
Movement can still happen across all clubs as we move into the final stages of the transfer window. However, for now, it’s clear that Rangers are gaining ground on their rivals as they both continue to stand still.