Moving players off the wage bill is Michael Beale’s main priority in the remaining weeks of the transfer market with Rangers also looking at the next crop of talented academy youngsters too.
The academy players no longer have the Lowland League for regular football and, as a result, some of them are being considered for moves.
The Daily Record has claimed that Rangers are ready to let four B team and academy players go out on loan as they target a pathway to the first-team.
Rangers set plan for academy prospects
Michael Beale spoke about Alex Lowry’s loan move to Hearts recently as being a “loan to come back”.
As a youngster at Rangers, loans will always be one or the other – a move to play regular football and put yourself in the shop window or, one like Lowry’s to get minutes at as high a level as possible rather than wasting time in the academy.
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The latter prepares youngsters for life at Rangers and few outfield players have returned to the clubs after temporary moves and been a success.
Charlie Adam the only one who can really make this claim.
The Record revealed who is available and it is a list that makes sense:
“Rangers are set to let a number of their youngsters go out on-loan. The Ibrox side are looking at loans for James Graham, Mackenzie Strachan and Robbie Fraser.
“Rangers are prepared to let them go out now they no longer have Lowland League action for their B team.
“Attacker Josh McPake is another who could also exit. He has had a number of loans and is now in the final year of his Ibrox contract.”
McPake is too good for youth team football at Rangers but needs to find a senior club where their style of play suits his or he will forever be an unfulfilled academy talent.
For Fraser, it is a similar issue, there isn’t much chance of him progressing into Michael Beale’s senior squad unless he goes out and proves that he can play at that level.
In the case of Graham and Strachan, it is a little less clear what the long term plan is for them but they have to grasp the opportunity with both hands either way.
Sometimes being away from Rangers can help a pampered youngster realise exactly what they have if motivation to work hard has been an issue.