If Rangers comfortable win over Aberdeen raised any points, it’s that they have to avoid a similar mistake that they made last summer by not signing Abdallah Sima.
Sima could be available again and Rangers should be asking the question, especially if the 49ers Enterprises takeover frees up a pound or two.
Signing Sima would get fans back on board and be a great start to a new era, but making Vaclav Cerny’s loan move from Wolfsburg a permanent one would be even more of a statement of intent.
After scoring on his 50th appearance of the season, the 28-year old has shown that he has the resilience to go with an end product that few wide players other than Sima have been able to replicate in recent years.
Speaking to Sky Sports Scotland on punditry duty after the win over Aberdeen where Cerny scored and chipped in with an assist, Kris Boyd has given his verdict on what could be the big deal of the summer.
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Kris Boyd on Rangers making permanent Vaclav Cerny transfer
Cerny was asked about the prospect of staying in Glasgow with a £5.5m deal already mooted, with Boyd also given his thoughts on the potential transfer:
“It is going to be difficult,” said Boyd. “He cost Wolfsburg £7m or round about that so it is going to be difficult.
“You look at Cerny, he can be pleased with his performances. He has been consistent, and 18 goals I think it is now for the season, good return.”
Do Rangers have the money to sign Cerny?
The problem in recent years hasn’t been that Rangers haven’t had money to spend, it is that it has been spent in the wrong places.
For perspective, the fees paid for Robin Propper and Nedim Bajrami combined wouldn’t be far away from what Wolfsburg want for Cerny.
The summer before, over £13m was spent on Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo; Brighton would probably have taken the £6m that they paid for Sima that year.
Cerny will be expensive, but good quality usually is, and his numbers – 18 goals and eight assists – are hugely impressive for his first season in Scotland, in a team that has struggled.
The budget will be tight again this summer, which makes it even more important to spend it on players who Rangers know can hit the ground running straight away.
