Rangers director of recruitment Nils Koppen wants the Ibrox side to sign at least one emerging Scottish talent per season.
Whether that is for the club’s academy – like Bailey Rice – or for the first-team – like Connor Barron – Koppen insists that Scotland will be a market that Rangers actively shop in.
But if the Gers are serious about moving for one of the Scottish Premiership’s brightest young talents, then an ex-Rangers star insists the club can expect to cough up.
Premiership talent on Nils Koppen’s radar
“We have to be aggressive in the youth market to try to get the best young players in the country and keep investing in that,” Koppen said in October.
“Because the strong core of Scottish players should come from your own academy. And sporadically, you buy somebody from other clubs, like with Connor Barron.
“It’s one of our objectives, to try and sign one player a season from another Scottish club if they’re there and the deal makes sense and it fits the plan.”
The comments come after Koppen included signing the best young Scottish talent as part of a 14-point transfer plan earlier in the year.
If there is one player who fits the profile of someone Rangers should be looking at, it’s Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller.
The 18-year-old has taken tremendous strides in his development in recent seasons and Rangers reportedly watched Miller turn out for the Steelmen in pre-season.
But the Ibrox side are not the only ones being linked to Lennon Miller of course, with Old Firm rivals Celtic also sniffing around and having the cash to burn.
Now, according to ex-Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell it’s the Parkhead side who are more likely to bankroll a deal for Lennon Miller but that even they can expect to cough up.
‘Lennon Miller worth up to £8m’
Speaking on Clyde Superscoreboard, Cammy Bell reckons that Celtic have the cash to sign Lennon Miller but that they can expect to pay up to £8m.
“No, listen, I think Celtic can absolutely afford him, yes,” said Bell. “But again, is it within Celtic’s business model, does Lennon Miller fit into that?
“Because I genuinely think Motherwell can potentially get seven, eight million pounds.
“I really do. I think European teams, they’ll be looking at him. His age, the numbers that he’s producing, and no disrespect to it, but for a Motherwell team. So I think there’s loads.
“And again, we’ve had a number of players who have moved on to big clubs in Europe. So there’s that interest in Scottish football at the moment. So I think Celtic would have real competition on their hands trying to get him.”
With money tight at Ibrox, we don’t suppose this is the sort of investment we can expect to see in Lennon Miller when it comes to Rangers.
But perhaps there is already one of the Motherwell star’s academy teammates in the Ibrox ranks who is surely on the verge of a breakthrough at Rangers?
As Lennon Miller has progressed at Motherwell, Bailey Rice finds himself twiddling his thumbs in the Rangers B team.
