da dobrowin： Rangers may have fallen away in the title race over the last few weeks but they could be boosted by a major off-field development that has emerged this week.
da leao： The Daily Record report that businessman Stuart Gibson is interested in investing in the club, with funds of £20m reportedly in the offering should chairman Dave King accept another party becoming involved.
It is reported that Gibson’s long-term goal is to take over full control from King, and though not much is known about the Japan-based businessman it is possible that he has the finances to take Rangers to the next level.
As the Glasgow outfit will likely miss out on silverware this season fans will be encouraged by that, but Steven Gerrard has overseen progress and that means he may not need greater spending power to overcome Celtic in order to prevent them winning a tenth consecutive league title in 2019/20.
We put that question to our team of Football FanCast writers. Here is their analysis of the situation, and whether having more money to spend is needed for Rangers to catch-up with their rivals.
Lewis Blain
“There’s no denying it, Rangers are still miles away from ever competing with Celtic for the SPFL title. The playing squad and finances are leagues apart and that’s ever so clear when looking at the current standings – Gerrard’s side are a massive 13 points behind.
“Talk of investment is very encouraging, though, and could be the deciding factor come next season. Barring the breakthrough of a pure generational talent at Ibrox, the manager needs to be backed with a wad of cash so that he can bring in the sort of quality that can contend with Celtic.
“If their Glasgow rivals lose any key players this summer – Edouard has been linked with an exit, for example – then there won’t be a more perfect time to pounce. Gibson could create a legacy at Rangers, should he choose to take full control.”
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James Beavis
“Rangers’ need for extra investment is painfully clear given what has happened in recent weeks.
“Following their win at Celtic Park at the end of December, they had the momentum and were just two points adrift of their great rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a game in hand.
“However, the winter break came at a bad time for the Ibrox outfit and they have been pretty dreadful ever since – to sum it all up, they now lie 13 points behind Neil Lennon’s men with the league currently suspended.
“It is proof that some of the players in the squad simply aren’t good enough and don’t have the bottle to play for Rangers, and changes are needed this summer.
“In short, Steven Gerrard should only be signing players that are good enough to also get into Celtic’s first-choice starting XI – otherwise what’s the point?
“Gerrard can’t succeed without it.”
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Danny Lewis
“It is obvious that there is currently a gap between Scotland’s two biggest clubs. However, if there is anyone who knows that throwing money at a problem doesn’t always solve it, then it is surely Rangers. Catching up with Neil Lennon’s side was always going to be a task that took time considering where Rangers have come from in recent years.
“Rangers have conducted some smart business to reach their current position and that is how they should carry on. They should be going out and finding the next Morelos by discovering hidden gems, after buying the Colombian from Veikkausliiga side HJK. It is easier said than done, but if they can bring in more players like this from obscure leagues for small fees, it will be much more beneficial and sustainable than blindly upping their investment and trying to match their Old Firm rivals that way.”
Kealan Hughes
“Rangers being able to spend more would undoubtedly give Steven Gerrard greater flexibility in the transfer market and he could benefit tremendously from such freedom, but he doesn’t need to rely on that to improve.
“He fought closely with Celtic this season and could simply miss out because the Bhoys barely put a foot wrong in domestic competition – losing one league game all season.
“However, Rangers will learn from the mistakes made and can take a lot of positives from this campaign, most notably their progression to the Europa League round of 16.
“That achievement shows the side is improving all the time under Gerrard. Young players like Ryan Kent have got better – having made 11 goal contributions this term – while the manager can also add to the squad this summer, and make Rangers even stronger title contenders.
Elsewhere, a prominent journalist has offered an intriguing update on the future of a Rangers pair…