da dobrowin： Pedro Caixinha is likely shopping on a budget this summer with money not exactly growing on trees around Ibrox right now. Nevertheless he has a lot of work to do if he’s to turn Rangers into a team worth celebrating from the current mess they find themselves.
da realbet： Languishing in third place in the Scottish Premiership, the loyal supporters at Ibrox need fresh names and new heroes to believe in their beloved club again.
Last season names like Joey Barton, Philippe Senderos and Joe Garner filled them without but all turned out to be duds. Only Garner ended up getting a regular game.
This summer the Gers need a more sensible transfer approach. They need to shop smartly, cheaply and procure some find young talent that Caixinha can help mould into proper Rangers stars.
They also need a bit of experience. Players who know what the club is all about.
With that in mind, here are four summer bargains that the Gers should try and bring to the club when the transfer window opens…
Stevie Mallan
First on our list is young Stevie Mallan, a player who is working wonders for St Mirren right now as they look to complete the unlikeliest of comebacks at the bottom of the Scottish Championship. Looking dead certs to be relegated at the turn of the year, they’re now one draw away from avoiding the drop and the relegation play-off positions.
Mallan has been central to that, scoring six goals in his last nine appearances. He has improved as the season has gone on under the guidance of Jack Ross. Scoring 22 goals in 92 appearances overall for the Buddies from midfield since making his debut at the age of 18, he is maturing into one of the top prospects of Scottish football.
Saints aren’t really in a position to knock back reasonable offers so we’re sure the Gers would be able to afford the fee necessary to take him to Ibrox and he would provide some much needed energy and attacking prowess to that midfield.
He also possesses a lethal long-range shot both from open play and set-pieces. We’re sure that would go down well with supporters.
Liam Lindsay
Considered one of the brightest young defensive prospects in the country, Liam Lindsay has received rave reviews for his performances at the heart of the Partick Thistle defence this season. Still just 21, he’s rapidly becoming the stand out player at Firhill and it surely won’t be long before he wins a move to a bigger club.
He’s helped Thistle secure a huge top six finish, their highest in top-flight football since the early eighties, with his assured and committed performances at centre-back.
It’s an area of the pitch Rangers have been found lacking in all season and some fresh blood would surely give that backline a boost. At 6ft 3in, he has the physicality required to be a hit at Ibrox but is capable on the ball too, gaining plaudits for his ability to play the ball out of defence.
Another key aspect to his game is goals, having notched up 7 so far this season, almost the same number as a certain Joe Garner.
Calm, collected and full of promise, a move for the young defender appears to be a no-brainer.
Steven Naismith
With recent reports from The Sun suggesting Steven Naismith could be given a free transfer by Norwich City this summer, Rangers would be silly not to at least entertain a move for an attacker who once thrilled supporters at Ibrox.
Ultimately his exit was acrimonious as he chose to exit the club in the midst of their 2012 financial meltdown, but there’s no story quite like redemption and if he chose to take a pay cut and return to a club he once loved, it could be an amazing move for all parties.
At 30, he may not have the pace or long-term ability to make a splash in the English Premier League anymore but he’s more than capable of performing at Scottish Premiership level and is exactly the kind of player the Gers need if they are to close the gap on Celtic.
With no transfer fee, Pedro Caixinha could allocate resources to Naismith’s wages instead. If the deal can be done, Rangers should do it.
Naismith is rated at £5.1m by transfermarkt.com.
Kyle Lafferty
Norwich City have already confirmed the exit of Kyle Lafferty from Norwich City this summer and he recently revealed he’d love a return to Rangers this summer. A versatile and effective attacker in his time at the Gers, he’s another, like Steven Naismith, who left in 2012 and would need to win his place back in the hearts of Rangers fans.
Always consistently good for Northern Ireland, he has plenty of good football left in him and in fact with maturity and experience may be an even better player than when he left Ibrox.
He knows what it takes to win trophies and league championships with the club and that winning mentality is something Pedro Caixinha needs to bring back to his side.