Michael Beale has ‘massive financial advantages’ at Rangers – Gary Keown
Rangers manager Michael Beale has “massive financial advantages” over most teams in the Scottish Premiership, and he must use this money to rebuild the first-team squad, according to Scottish Daily Mail journalist Gary Keown.
Despite recording an unbeaten record since arriving as manager at Ibrox, Keown believes Beale will be eyeing up a host of changes to his squad in the summer transfer window to close the gap to current league-leaders Celtic.
The Gers boss has already signed Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin in the winter window, and with the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos out of contract in the summer, plenty more business is expected to take place before the start of next season.
“Results have been good,” Keown wrote in the Scottish Daily Mail (Sunday 26 February, page 109).
“Given the fact he inherited a team in a bit of a mess following the overdue departure of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, 13 wins and one draw at home to Celtic – which would have been a win were it not for the late equaliser from Kyogo Furuhashi – is as good as could have been expected.
“Performances have been less impressive, but getting Rangers winning consistently again was the imperative in the immediate term and Beale, so far, has delivered. As a guy with massive financial advantages over most of the teams in the league should.
“What happens in terms of the title race this season is broadly irrelevant. Beale has a squad to rebuild – even if he doesn’t particularly like that word – and a summer in which to source and sign the talent he talks about requiring to construct a Rangers of the future.”
Smart business
Beale has already signposted his preference to make smart use of money in the transfer window, picking up both Cantwell and Raskin for shrewd prices.
The midfield duo are both young players whose value is likely to surge upward over time, so both signings made complete sense on a financial basis. Despite strengthening his squad last month, he still has plenty of work to do to close the gap with Ange Postecoglou’s side.
The ongoing contract situations with Kent and Morelos remain an issue, while replacements will have to be brought if they do intend to leave Ibrox at the end of the season. Behind the Colombian forward, Beale only has the injury-prone Kemar Roofe and Antonio Colak – neither of whom inspire confidence that they could lead the line for a title-winning team.
Allan McGregor’s expiring contract also poses another area for concern at Ibrox, with Jon McLaughlin the only other viable option to take position between the sticks.
In other Rangers news, the club have pulled off one transfer coup by signing a player on a free that European giants have been after.