{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Championship journeymen not the answer as Michael Beale prepares for Rangers transfer tightrope
Rangers boss Michael Beale is set to walk a transfer tightrope but he must be aware of the pitfalls of English Championship journeymen.
This week, Kieran Dowell of Norwich City was said to be lined up for a summer switch to Ibrox, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The former Everton player is out of contract at the end of the season, on the expiry of his three-year deal at Carrow Road, and he is now free to talk to other clubs.
A squad overhaul is expected to happen at Rangers in the coming weeks, with many of the current crop reaching the end of the road.
Hopefully, a fond farewell is in store by lifting the Scottish Cup but that can only happen if a place is the final is secured by rising to the challenge of beating Celtic this weekend. Too often, too many times, this team has failed to meet domestic expectations.
Beale needs to bring in seven or eight players at first-team level who are ready to contribute immediately. There is very little margin for error with the shopping spree in the next transfer window, just as outgoing sales need to be maximised.
Rangers won’t have a massive budget so free transfers and loans will need to be utilised.
However, the manager needs to be wary of what is available in the English Championship. Players like Dowell have never had the pressure of fighting for top-flight titles, in an environment where winning is the be-all and end-all.
Project players if you like, could fit the description of Todd Cantwell, talented individuals who have lost their way or not quite fulfilled their potential. Maybe Jack Butland is another.
There needs to be balance and in addition to such signings, relative money must be spent on proven quality. That is the best way to push for success.
No signing is guaranteed to work but quality is required, as much as quantity in what is a defining period ahead for all at Ibrox,
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist has named the one thing that Beale’s midfield cannot let Celtic do as he names three players.