Nils Koppen will already be working hard behind the scenes looking to identify the players needed to take Rangers to the next level.
There are players who are out of contract who will need to be replaced as well as those who aren’t good enough for Rangers who will need to be moved on.
Space on the wage bill has been created, but there are clear gaps in a Rangers squad that, on its day, has shown that it can play good football.
Unfortunately, those days haven’t been consistent enough with one position in particular being a problem since Steven Davis retired.
Rangers have lacked control, especially domestically, with Marcelo Bielsa explaining just how hard a job Koppen has on his hands to land the right player.
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Why Rangers have to find the next Luka Modric
The midfield currently has hybrid players like Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande with Connor Barron being an energetic destroyer, rather than someone who will dictate play.
According to Bielsa, the position Rangers need to fill is the hardest:
“The hardest player to find in football is the eight,” said Bielsa in an interview in 2023 via One Football.
“I named it ‘the Modric’. This position demands a player with the defensive skills of a number six and the offensive prowess of a number ten.
“Modric is a phenomenal player who fully understands the game and has the ability to defend, the skills to attack and understanding the game in both directions.”
Who could Rangers sign to fill the hardest position?
Bielsa nails the type of player that Rangers needs perfectly.
Domestically, they need someone who can put their foot on the ball, find runners with through balls, find space where there isn’t any and create chances against stubborn opponents.
In Europe, Rangers need a player who can slow the game down, stop the centre-halves from going long when they are under pressure and control the energy of players like Raskin and Diomande around them.
The obvious name is Dejan Ljubicic given that he is out of contract at Koln and that he can play as a six or even a 10, he also played as a centre-half in his younger days at Rapid Vienna.
Ally McCoist once told Walter Smith to sign Luka Modric, now, Nils Koppen needs to find his carbon copy.
