For a summer which promised so much, Rangers’ net transfer spend isn’t exactly indicative of the kind of rebuild which will take the club to the next level.
Heading into the summer, Michael Beale managed to navigate several high-profile defeats and the failure to deliver any silverware with the promise of a much-demanded revamp.
Albeit one year, or maybe even two years, too late to fully pacify the support, Rangers fans got their wish but as things stand, major questions marks surround the club’s new-look squad.
After two defeats from four in the Scottish Premiership – including one to Old Firm rivals Celtic – and a Champions League humiliation against PSV the pressure on Michael Beale.
After the exit of Ross Wilson to Nottingham Forest the Rangers board backed the former Chelsea youth coach to go out and transform this squad but since the signings have been made, there have been rumbles of discontent.
MORE RANGERS STORIES
Are Rangers better or worse after net transfer spend of virtually £0?
The Rangers boss – rather snarkily – suggested that the the club’s summer spend of £13m was not enough to herald anything more than what his stuttering signings are delivering.
In have come Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Leon Balogun and Abdallah Sima (loan) on free transfers, with Beale suggesting Jose Cifuentes cost – at max – around £650k from LAFC.
That means somewhere in the region of £12.5m has been spent on Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo with the Ibrox jury out on them all. Sentencing may soon be passed even at this early stage.
This after the Rangers manager insisted he was happy with the nine signings he’d made heading into a make or break season for not just Beale but Rangers as a club.
The Gers boss would also claim that the sale of Glen Kamara would achieve equilibrium on Rangers’ net transfer spend in ominous comments for watching Ibrox supporters.
Antonio Colak (£2.5m), Fashion Sakala (£4m), Glen Kamara (£5m) and the £1m raised from the end of season Malik Tillman buyback nonsense has balanced the club’s net spend.
Whilst this doesn’t take into account the money spent on wages, or securing free contracts, the five high earners who left in Allan McGregor, Filip Helander, Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos must’ve also freed up a few bob.
The situation raises plenty of questions; should Rangers have let all that experience go? Have we suitably replaced it? Where do the new guys fit in?
But it all leads to the most important question of all: is this Rangers team stronger than the Rangers team of last season?
With the net transfer spend currently set at somewhere around £0 – and the Rangers of this season so far 1-0 down against the last given a failure to qualify for the Champions League – it’s a question that could be answered by the end of September.