Rangers transfer window delights Michael Beale who names former Leicester City man’s appointment as crucial move
Michael Beale is “delighted” by the Rangers business in the transfer market this summer, and has declared the club “definitely ahead of schedule”.
The Ibrox boss started making signings early as he looks to reel in Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and to make up for significant free agent departures as contracts expired, with six players brought in so far.
But it is an off-field move to bring back club doctor Mark Waller after a year away at Leicester City that he believes could be the most important arrival of the offseason, amid positive fitness developments on four injury-hit players.
A report in The Times on Sunday (9 July) said: “Beale said bringing back the doctor Rangers had in [Steven] Gerrard’s time, Mark Waller, who had been with relegated Leicester City, was ‘one of the biggest bits of recruitment we have done this summer’.
“Ibrox’s seemingly endless injury list is clearing. Connor Goldson should be ready for the start of the season. Kemar Roofe, having had a hip operation, will join the group in Germany this week.
“Ben Davies is with them and Tom Lawrence will be back when they return to Scotland.”
Crucial
Injury issues wrecked last summer’s transfer business and if the same were to occur this year then it wouldn’t matter how happy the manager is with his signings because he wouldn’t have them available.
Between Lawrence, John Souttar, Ridvan Yilmaz, Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak there were numerous games missed last season by new signings, rendering attempts to battle Celtic badly undermined.
If Waller’s return can help turn that around then it will be as beneficial as any of the additions to the playing staff that have so far come in this summer.
Having Lawrence back after months out missing, following his free transfer arrival from Derby a year ago, will be as good as a new signing in itself, on top of attacking recruits Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers.
With so much extensive transfer activity in and out of the club this summer, on top of months of change in key positions behind the scenes, it is going to be a new-look Rangers who Beale leads into the new season.
And after a year which disappointed across the board and saw the club finish empty-handed it is going to need to lead to a much-improved performance in turn.
The manager is enthusiastic about Wallers’ return, and in the 66-year-old another piece of the set-up that helped lift title 55 is back in place as the hunt for 56 gets set to kick off.
In other Rangers news, Steven Gerrard has been in contact with Beale amid reported plans for a raid for Ibrox captain James Tavernier.