Following Rangers’ return to the Scottish Premiership back in 2016, the age-old Old Firm rivalry has been reignited. Historically, the Celtic versus Rangers fixture is defined as the game of the season for both clubs.
Be it Mark Warburton leaving Rangers back in 2017 or Graeme Murty’s departure the following year, each one had a Celtic angle related to it.
Warburton left the club with his team falling 27 points behind the Hoops in the race for the Scottish Premiership title. Murty, on the other hand, was sacked following a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Celtic in May 2018.
The appointment of Steven Gerrard back in the summer of 2018 was the Rangers board’s statement of intent.
It has been four years since the club returned to the top flight and the Gers can no longer use the “difference in standards” as an excuse for their failure to win the league.
In spite of being in charge of the team for two years, Gerrard is yet to win silverware and stop Celtic’s recent domestic dominance.
A premature end to the 2019-20 season means that the Liverpool legend now has more time to prepare for the new season.
Despite Rangers still being alive in the Europa League, Gerrard will be planning for the new season, as he aims to stop Celtic from winning the Scottish Premiership ten times in a row.
The first step towards it is to build a strong team which will be capable of challenging Celtic.
In spite of academy chief Craig Mulholland claiming that the focus is on building one of Europe’s best youth set-ups, Steven Gerrard has earned an unfavourable reputation for using the least number of academy graduates in his first-team.
And with the focus being solely on stopping the Bhoys from making it ten-in-a-row, Gerrard is expected to stick to his tactics and try and bring in a number of players to add to the depth of his squad for the make or break 2020-21 season.
So, here are the three probable signings Rangers can make ahead of the new season.
Freddie Woodman (Newcastle United)
Rangers allowed the experienced Wes Foderingham leave Ibrox after the expiration of his contract this summer.
He was joined by fellow custodian Jak Alnwick, who was on loan at Blackpool for the 2019-20 season. And with Allan McGregor turning 39 next January, Rangers do not have too many back-ups between the sticks.
As a result, young Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has been linked with a move to the north of the border.
Given his prior stints at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in Scotland, the 23-year-old could turn out to be a good fit for the Gers.
After multiple loan spells away from St James’s Park, Woodman is finally looking to settle down and the reputation of Rangers could lure him to Ibrox.
Available at £2.5 million, Woodman is a feasible option for Rangers. However, the Gers face competition from Swansea City, who are keen on extending his loan spell.
Lyle Taylor (Charlton Athletic)
The Charlton Athletic contract rebel is attracting interest from a number of clubs, with the Gers being one of the bookmakers’ favourites.
Former Rangers star Charlie Adam said in a recent interview with talkSPORT that the 30-year-old would be a good signing for the Scottish giants.
“He’s a good player and it wouldn’t surprise me, just throwing it out there, if Rangers or Celtic try and take him because he’s out of contract.”
Charlie Adam
Taylor has been in impressive form for the Championship relegation battlers this season, scoring 11 goals in 22 league appearances, and he might be a great signing for Rangers.
However, with both Celtic and Turkish giants Galatasaray joining the race for his signature, Steven Gerrard’s side have a tough task at hand. The last thing Rangers would want is to see Lyle Taylor join the other side of Glasgow this summer.
Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen)
The 20-year-old, son of former Rangers midfielder Derek and the nephew of Gers legend Barry, has been linked with a move away from Aberdeen this summer, with Ibrox believed to be his most likely destination.
Steven Gerrard is said to be a keen admirer of the midfielder, and the player himself, in a recent interview, said that being linked with a move to Rangers means that he must be doing something right.
“When you see stuff like that, you’re obviously doing something right to have clubs looking at you. But my full focus is on getting back to training with Aberdeen and playing next season.”
In spite of the player saying that his focus currently remains on Aberdeen, an official bid from the Gers might be enough for him to change his mind.
Rangers have already shown intent by securing a deal for Calvin Bassey from Leicester City, and more signings are expected to happen. Gerrard’s team started the 2019-20 season on a steady note, giving hope to their fans, but it soon faded away.
This time around, the Liverpool legend isn’t in favour of repeating the same mistakes. The signings he makes will go a long way in determining his intent for the new season.
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