Former Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson hopes his old side’s Plan B in the transfer market is exactly what is required to save the season.
And he feels if Rangers do not try their all to bring in three or four experienced quality additions before the window shuts, then they are accepting failure already.
Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen have made nine signings so far this summer but the average age of those recruits stands at just 23 years old.
It’s clear Clement wants to beef up his squad with greater quality but failure to qualify for the Champions League after defeat to Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday has severely dented those plans.
There isn’t much left in the Rangers transfer budget at the minute and the likes of Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi will need to be moved on before anyone else comes through the door.
But regardless of the situation Rangers are in, Barry Ferguson has warned that the 2024/25 season could be written off already if his idea of transfer ‘plan B’ isn’t executed.
Ferguson’s plea for Rangers transfer ‘creativity’
Writing in his weekly Daily Record column, the 46-year-old said: “It’s time to bring out plan B and to execute it before the market shuts down for another six months. So we’re about to see exactly what plan B looks like.
“And I still have hope that it will result in three or four quality additions being brought in between now and the end of the month.
“Because what I saw on Tuesday night was a group of players crying out for a bit of experienced, tried and tested help. No one can question the effort these boys put into that game.
“They were trying their hearts out to get the result and they were badly let down by an absolute shocker of a refereeing decision which left them down to 10 men when the tie was in the balance.
“But let’s not dwell on that because there’s nothing that can be done to change it. All Rangers need to focus on is what they can do about getting ready for a campaign in the Europa League.
“And, with the finances being tight, that means they are going to have to be creative with this next phase of recruitment over the next two weeks. They now know what the budget is so let’s see what they’ve got up their sleeves.
The profiles Rangers must target
Ferguson went on to describe exactly the type of players Rangers need to be recruiting before the transfer window slams shut on Friday, August 30.
He continued: “I like this whole project and the idea of bringing in young players with bags of potential to sell on for big profits. I get it. But these players are going to need a bit of help if they are going to blossom in an environment as demanding as this one.
“That means bringing in players of proven quality who can be relied upon to perform, week in week out. I’m not talking about guys nearing the end of their careers either.
“I’m talking about players in the age bracket of 26 to 29 who are fully established but with their best years still ahead of them.
“Rangers need to get three or four of them in the door over the next two weeks to show they’re not happy to write off the current season while planning for the future.”
