Rangers transfer window video

Mark Atkinson discusses potential incomings and outgoing at Rangers during this window.

Transcript

00:00Hello, it's Mark Atkinson, Sports Editor of the Scotsman here, talking to you today about

00:09the potential incomings and outgoings at Rangers in this January transfer window. Now, you

00:16could argue that Rangers are one of the clubs in the Scottish Premiership that is most in

00:21need of fresh blood. But of course, after some dire financial figures came out of Ibrox

00:27in the autumn, it would suggest that they haven't got the armoury to go and do serious

00:33business. Nevertheless, with some changes behind the scenes and a real need to get in

00:39some players, one can expect a bit of activity down Ibrox way. Of course, we've got Patrick

00:45Stewart in as Chief Executive and Fraser Thornton as Chairman, with the ascension of Nils Koppen

00:50as Technical Director. They do have all the pieces of the jigsaw now in place to take

00:55the heat off manager Philippe Clement himself under pressure for on-field performances and

01:01allow him to focus on matters on the pitch and them to bring in new players. With the

01:08injury situation currently at Ibrox in defence, we expect Rangers to bring in at least one

01:14new player in that area of the pitch. Now, of course, Neeraj Shukata Muirjo is out for

01:18the whole season with a knee injury. He could cover pretty much every position in the back

01:23line. With John Suter, centre-half, and his fellow centre-half Liam Balvin also sidelined

01:28at the moment, and then add in right-back James Tavernier, there's simply a shortage

01:33of senior defenders at Rangers and Philippe Clement has already said that clearly is one

01:38area of the team that needs augmentation. Ruben Mill has been, not an overdrive at Rangers,

01:45but there have been suggestions that midfield might be an area of focus for Rangers as well.

01:50Denis Alaru, a Romanian midfielder at Stara Bucurest, and Isaac Price at Stoner Liege,

01:56they've both been linked with Rangers across December, and you could say that there is

02:02a need for more midfielders there. That, though, could depend on what happens with senior playmaker

02:08Tom Lawrence. He's out of contract in the summer and there have been whispers that he

02:12could be on his way out in this transfer window. If he was to go, that would free up space

02:17and wages for a new midfielder. Further up the pitch, Cyril Dessers, who was Rangers'

02:25main number nine less than a year ago, he's now third in the pecking order behind Hamza

02:30Igeman and Danilo, and one would expect that if there was serious concrete interest in

02:37Nigeria, and there has been rumour speculation that there are clubs in Europe and further

02:42afield that would like Dessers in their squad, if that was to come to fruition, then he could

02:47well move on in January and that would create a sizeable space, given the wages that he'll

02:53be on to bring in players. The reality for Rangers, though, is while they're trying to

02:58rebuild on and off the pitch, the 17.2 million loss that they posted in their accounts says

03:05that they can't do an awful amount of serious heavy lifting in this transfer window, regardless

03:11of what they require to bridge what is a sizeable 14-point gap over Celtic. I'd imagine

03:18there would be some lower-level exits at Ibrox as well, in terms of players. Guys like Robbie

03:24Fraser, Adam Devine and Alex Lowry, youngsters who haven't quite made the step up at Rangers,

03:30their time at Ibrox could be coming to an end. There was a suggestion that Robbie Fraser

03:34could be going to Portsmouth in the English Championship with their manager,

03:37John Mussino, pour cold water on that story on New Year's Eve. Nevertheless, there'll be plenty

03:44of names being linked with Rangers, there always is during a transfer window, it just remains to

03:48be seen how many players they'll be able to bring in during January's window.