Rangers urged to sign two rival Premiership stars in bargain deals, one is 'an athletic monster'
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Rangers’ transfer market activity during the Nils Koppen and Philippe Clement era has certianly focused more on overseas additions than homegrown talent.
Connor Barron and Liam Kelly may have joined last summer from Aberdeen and Motherwell respectively – the duo snapped up when their contracts expired – but the tigerish midfielder and the veteran goalkeeper were very much the exception rather than the rule.
In fact, Rangers have signed 20 different players since the summer of 2023. And only two of those – Barron and Kelly – joined from a rival Scottish Premiership club.
Technical director Koppen, meanwhile, has prided himself on Rangers’ ability to find bargains from lesser spotted markets. Koppen uses Hamza Igamane and Jefte as examples – the duo brought in for less than £3 million combined – of the value that can be found when casting your net further and wider.
Yet, the former PSV Eindhoven talentspotter is not averse to the idea of looking a little closer to home.
One of the club’s ‘objectives’, Koppen added, remains ‘to sign the best talents of Scotland’. Barron, just 22 years of age but bringing substantial experience to Ibrox after a few seasons in the Aberdeen first-team, is a prime example.
Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday, meanwhile, feels there are two more Premiership talents Koppen and Clement should jump at the chance to bring in, especially given that both will be free-agents come July.
- READ MORE:Rangers Transfer History 2016-Present
Rangers urged to sign Dundee duo Josh Mulligan and Lyall Cameron
“It’s a sad state. It’s in January when you’re saying this but the league is done. The league has been done for a while,” Halliday says, Saturday’s collapse at Hibernian extending the gap at the top of the table to 13 points.
“[Rangers] just need to prepare a squad, whether it’s depth, quality, line up players for the summer and try to do as much business as they can.
“Pre contracts! Two players I would sign right now; Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan. Honestly, I would sign the two of them.”
Mulligan and Cameron, both 22 and both representatives of Dundee, are due to face Rangers this week. Clement’s team travel to Dens Park on Thursday night, and the Dundee duo could hardly be in better shape for the visit of the Glasgow giants.
Cameron, one of the most potent attacking midfielders in the league, took his tally to eight for the season during the 3-1 win at St Johnstone over the weekend. Mulligan provided an assist in a typically bucanneering display down the right-hand side, meanwhile.
With Rangers in the market for potential James Tavernier replacements, the versatile Mulligan maybe one name to consider.
Rangers told they need a homegrown spine to thrive under Philippe Clement
“Mulligan is an athletic monster, I am signing him. I am signing the two of them on pre-contracts,” adds Halliday, who has come up against the Dundee pair this season with Motherwell.
“[Koppen] mentioned homegrown talent. See your Mulligans and Lyall Camerons, I’m not saying signing them is going to win Rangers the league. But see what [Luke] McCowan is doing for Celtic, get them two boys for proper squad depth, they will play games and do well for you.”
The aforementioned McCowan has made the step up from Dundee to Celtic look pretty straightforward since his summer switch. He might not be a regular in Brendan Rodgers’ XI, but McCowan is averaging a goal or an assist every time he starts a Premiership match these days.
And Tony Watt, a teammate of Halliday’s at Motherwell, feels that Rangers need a sheet of Scottish steel to line a vulnerable underbelly.
“Cameron is good. [He impressed me in] both games against us,” Watt adds.
“Rangers have lost a lot, your Ryan Jacks and people like that. I think Rangers need kind off homegrown, Scottish boys, even if it’s the English version of that, just to knock heads if things aren’t going well.”
