Rangers transfers: Michael Beale explains strategy and lifts lid on chase for defender - 'we went long way down road'

Rangers manager Michael Beale has signed nine new players this summer.

Time will tell if Rangers’ summer transfer business can be labelled successful but one thing is for sure, the early nature of it resulted in a quiet deadline day for all at Ibrox.

Rangers did not add to their squad on Friday, with manager Michael Beale content with the nine signings brought in during the window. Goalkeeper Jack Butland, defenders Dujon Sterling and Leon Balogun, midfielders Jose Cifuentes and Kieran Dowell plus attacking quartet Abdallah Sima, Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo have all arrived as part of serious refresh of the Rangers squad. It would be unfair to judge any of the players so early into their careers in Govan, although Butland has become an instant hit due to his performances.

Even before last season had finished, Beale knew what he wanted and had put the wheels in motion. He was aware that forwards Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos would leave, that Allan McGregor would retire and that others would need to move on. Rangers are understood to have forked out a net spend of roughly £5million for their recruits, offset by the sales of Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala and Antonio Colak to Leeds United, Al-Fayha and Parma respectively. Supported by the board, Beale moved fast to get the guts of his team together for the Champions League qualifiers and while Rangers were eventually sorely outclassed by PSV, it was always going to be a hard task for such a new team to make it to the group stages.

"I think we frontloaded early in terms of recruitment,” explained Beale in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Celtic. “I think with nine players coming into the squad, I think it's important that the squad is given time to settle down. We don't have any injuries at this moment in time, so the squad is looking healthy. The squad size has come down in size and in average age. We're okay, we're good to go. Naturally every manager is going to sit here and say they want one more, but we are happy with the squad moving forward.

"The board really supported the plan. James [Bisgrove, Rangers chief executive] and myself looked at the squad going into the summer. We had a number of players moving on, an ageing squad in some areas, but the contract situation enabled us to refresh the squad in terms of age and rethink assets moving forward. We are sticking with that plan and onwards and upwards with this group of players.”

Speaking last month, Beale did admit that he was looking at a left-sided centre-back and a winger as potential further additions. Rangers were linked with a whole host of defenders – Jonathan Panzo, Auston Trusty, Ronnie Edwards and Harry Souttar being the main ones – but in the end, they will go with Balogun, Connor Goldson, John Souttar and Ben Davies – subject of late interest from Stoke – as their options there. The recent emergence of Rabbi Matondo has taken some of the pressure away from signing a replacement for Kent.

“We went a long way down the road for a left-sided centre-back earlier in the window to provide competition for Ben Davies," explained Beale. “We were priced out by a Premier League club who paid more than we were willing to pay. That was the board and me. We thought the fee paid was outside the value of that player.

“In terms of getting a dribbler for wide areas, we also wanted to see if someone from inside could take a step up and we got a bit step up from Rabbi Matondo and the return of fitness from Tom Lawrence, which gives me a lot of optimism. By the time we get back from the international break, I think Tom will be ready to start and become a main player in our team again.

“Ben Davies came into pre-season injured from an injury he got at the end of last season. He’s been fit for the last two weeks but I feel John Souttar has been playing well enough to keep him out of the team. I feel we have adequate players to get us to where we want to be.”

It will now be up to Beale and those players to show that they are capable of performing for Rangers, starting on Sunday against Celtic.