Russell Martin making last-ditch move for Championship star as Rangers plan becomes clear
Rangers boss Russell Martin has made a dozen signings this summer, but the team doesn’t look any stronger than last season.
The new manager has a clear transfer strategy, at least in his midfield, where he has mostly targeted young up-and-coming stars from the English league.
This strategy hasn’t worked well so far. Martin’s side have struggled to break down teams willing to play for a draw in the Scottish Premiership. Rangers were also overrun in midfield by Club Brugge in the Champions League playoff round.
However, with a couple of days left of the transfer window, the manager might be learning from his mistakes.
Rangers hoping to tempt Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean to Ibrox
Rangers have been linked with a late move for Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean.
McLean, 33, spent some time in the Rangers youth academy. He’s a Scottish international who spent years playing for Aberdeen and understands the Scottish league.
He’s exactly the sort of player that pundits have been urging Martin to sign.
It’s a late diversion from Martin’s original transfer strategy that had seen so many inexperienced midfielders drafted into the squad.
But Rangers need a plan B, and they need one quickly.
McLean transfer could be too little too late for Russell Martin
It has been suggested that Rangers could recruit at least four more players before the transfer window closes.
The late interest in McLean suggests that Martin is preparing a dramatic shift away from his initial transfer strategy.
Perhaps a late injection of experience could be exactly what this Rangers team needs. It’s definitely possible that the Norwich City star could prove to be more reliable than Joe Rothwell in Rangers’ midfield.
| Kenny McLean’s Norwich statistics |
| Signed – January 2018 |
| Appearances – 268 |
| Goals – 13 |
Of course, there’s no guarantee that this transfer will be completed. Norwich have dismissed interest in McLean before, while Football League World reports that Liam Manning remains keen to keep hold of his captain.
So, this late change of heart from the Rangers manager could be too little too late to save Rangers’ season.
With only two days of the transfer window remaining open, it will be interesting to see which last-minute transfers are signed off.
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