Mark Atkinson discusses potential incomings and outgoing at Rangers during this window.
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00:00Hello, it's Mark Atkinson, Sports Editor of the Scotsman here, talking to you today about
00:09the potential incomings and outgoings at Rangers in this January transfer window. Now, you
00:16could argue that Rangers are one of the clubs in the Scottish Premiership that is most in
00:21need of fresh blood. But of course, after some dire financial figures came out of Ibrox
00:27in the autumn, it would suggest that they haven't got the armoury to go and do serious
00:33business. Nevertheless, with some changes behind the scenes and a real need to get in
00:39some players, one can expect a bit of activity down Ibrox way. Of course, we've got Patrick
00:45Stewart in as Chief Executive and Fraser Thornton as Chairman, with the ascension of Nils Koppen
00:50as Technical Director. They do have all the pieces of the jigsaw now in place to take
00:55the heat off manager Philippe Clement himself under pressure for on-field performances and
01:01allow him to focus on matters on the pitch and them to bring in new players. With the
01:08injury situation currently at Ibrox in defence, we expect Rangers to bring in at least one
01:14new player in that area of the pitch. Now, of course, Neeraj Shukata Muirjo is out for
01:18the whole season with a knee injury. He could cover pretty much every position in the back
01:23line. With John Suter, centre-half, and his fellow centre-half Liam Balvin also sidelined
01:28at the moment, and then add in right-back James Tavernier, there's simply a shortage
01:33of senior defenders at Rangers and Philippe Clement has already said that clearly is one
01:38area of the team that needs augmentation. Ruben Mill has been, not an overdrive at Rangers,
01:45but there have been suggestions that midfield might be an area of focus for Rangers as well.
01:50Denis Alaru, a Romanian midfielder at Stara Bucurest, and Isaac Price at Stoner Liege,
01:56they've both been linked with Rangers across December, and you could say that there is
02:02a need for more midfielders there. That, though, could depend on what happens with senior playmaker
02:08Tom Lawrence. He's out of contract in the summer and there have been whispers that he
02:12could be on his way out in this transfer window. If he was to go, that would free up space
02:17and wages for a new midfielder. Further up the pitch, Cyril Dessers, who was Rangers'
02:25main number nine less than a year ago, he's now third in the pecking order behind Hamza
02:30Igeman and Danilo, and one would expect that if there was serious concrete interest in
02:37Nigeria, and there has been rumour speculation that there are clubs in Europe and further
02:42afield that would like Dessers in their squad, if that was to come to fruition, then he could
02:47well move on in January and that would create a sizeable space, given the wages that he'll
02:53be on to bring in players. The reality for Rangers, though, is while they're trying to
02:58rebuild on and off the pitch, the 17.2 million loss that they posted in their accounts says
03:05that they can't do an awful amount of serious heavy lifting in this transfer window, regardless
03:11of what they require to bridge what is a sizeable 14-point gap over Celtic. I'd imagine
03:18there would be some lower-level exits at Ibrox as well, in terms of players. Guys like Robbie
03:24Fraser, Adam Devine and Alex Lowry, youngsters who haven't quite made the step up at Rangers,
03:30their time at Ibrox could be coming to an end. There was a suggestion that Robbie Fraser
03:34could be going to Portsmouth in the English Championship with their manager,
03:37John Mussino, pour cold water on that story on New Year's Eve. Nevertheless, there'll be plenty
03:44of names being linked with Rangers, there always is during a transfer window, it just remains to
03:48be seen how many players they'll be able to bring in during January's window.