Rangers told to sign three new attackers as BBC Scotland pundit shares transfer verdict
Rangers must sign three strikers to topple Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership next season, according to Ibrox legend Mark Hateley.
Michael Beale Gers side finished last campaign seven points off their Old Firm rivals, but their top scorer was defender James Tavernier with 16 goals, compared to Kyogo Furuhashi, who netted 27 times for the Hoops.
After the departure of Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox, only Kemar Roofe and Antonio Colak remain as first-team options for Rangers to call upon to lead the line.
Speaking in an interview with The Times, BBC Scotland pundit Hateley sent a blunt transfer message to Beale, saying: “They need a goalscorer. Actually, you don’t need one. You don’t need two. You need three goalscorers.
“You need two that are in your starting 11 who can score more goals than your right back and your captain if you are going to have a chance of winning anything. That’s a given.
“You have to score more goals than the opposition every week, it’s as simple as that. The game does not change. It is all about scoring goals and Celtic scored a lot more than Rangers last season.
“That is why they won the league. Rangers have only really had one main goalscorer in the team over the last five years and that has been the full back.
“That has been the reality of the situation.”
Options desperately needed
The fact that Tavernier was the club’s top goalscorer last year is a damning statistic for Rangers fans to look at when compared to the bundles of goals scored by their Old Firm rivals.
Yes, the likes of Malik Tillman and Todd Cantwell chipped in with their fair share of goals as well, but you can’t rely on these types of players for all your moments of magic if you are truly competing for league honours.
Beale has obviously seen the need for multiple attacking options at Ibrox and is getting his search underway, with Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland and Cremonese forward Cyriel Dessers both eyed by the club.
In a window of sweeping change, in which the likes of Ryan Kent, Morelos and Allan McGregor have all left the club, the need for respective replacements is pressing.
The Gers have already had a strong start to their summer, bringing in Jack Butland, Dujon Furlong and Kieran Dowell, but a striker is now the most glaring weakness in the first-team squad.
Beale needs to get attacking bodies into the club, and fast.
In other Rangers news, work permit issues have now emerged which means that the club may not be able to complete a major signing this summer.