Rangers transfers: Five players Gers could target to continue dominance over Celtic

Graham Falk looks at five players the Scottish champions could sign to ensure Rangers continue Scottish Premiership ascendancy ...

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will want to assert even more dominance come the 21/22 campaign.

As the Scottish Premiership season draws to a close, Steven Gerrard and the Rangers recruitment team will be piecing together their list of transfer targets as they aim to continue their unquestionable dominance over the rest of the league.

We cast our eye over five stars we think could add something extra to a strong Rangers squad that will be looking to bring even more silverware to Ibrox come May 2022.

Lewis Ferguson – Midfield (Aberdeen)

Young, talented, room to grow and an more than enough ability to add to Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad immediately, the 21-year-old Dons midfielder ticks every box when it comes to Rangers’ recruitment strategy. His family’s history with the club means it would be no surprise to see the youngster on the Ibrox shopping list in the summer.

A stand-out player during a difficult season at Pittodrie, the Scotland Under-21 star has been directed involved in almost a quarter of Aberdeen goals this season. His performances this campaign have led for calls to include him in a Scotland Euro 2020 squad that already has an abundance of quality in midfield.

Steven Davis won’t be retiring any time soon, but bringing in Ferguson would ensure the club have a natural successor when he does.

Britt Assombalonga – Striker (Middlesbrough)

Rangers will be on the lookout for a striker to cover the expected departure of Jermain Defoe this summer and have already been linked with a move for the Middlesbrough striker.

Having four strikers in the first-team squad paid dividends for Steven Gerrard this season as Rangers secured their 55th title win, with each striker contributing throughout the campaign. The 28-year-old striker was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League before he opted to join Boro for £15 million pounds back in 2017 and has since gone on to score 45 league goals for the club.

With similar attributes to first choice striker Alfredo Morelos, the DR Congo striker would be the perfect competition for the Colombian and would be able to move to Glasgow on a Bosman free transfer, with his contract set to expire in the summer.

James Garner – Midfielder (Manchester United)

Another player who fits the Ibrox recruitment model perfectly is Red Devils academy product James Garner, who has been impressive during two loans spells at Watford and Nottingham Forest respectively.

Bongani Zungu hasn’t been the success many had hoped and it’s thought a Garner would be an upgrade on the South African, with his best years still ahead of him.

Highly rated by the Manchester United hierarchy, the 20-year-old won their reserve player of the year award in 2019 and it is believed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will look to offer him an improved contract come season end. Rangers could hold a trump card, however, with the Birkenhead born player admitting his idol growing up was Steven Gerrard, going as far as saying he “used to wear Adidas Predators, just like him (Gerrard), and I still do today.”

Kwadwo Baah – Winger (Rochdale)

A shining light amid a difficult season for his current club Rochdale, the 18-year-old was a whisker away from joining Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in January. However, the deal hit a snag and fell through at the final hurdle. Linked to both Old Firm clubs in the winter transfer window, now would be a perfect time to pounce for the teenager – especially with the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus allegedly sending scouts to watch him at the Crown Oil Arena this season.

Baah is in the mould of an old school winger that likes to get at his full back, showing pace and tenacity, meaning he is prone to winning free-kicks in dangerous areas. The German born winger is far from the finished article, but could mould into a player of the highest quality with the help of Steven Gerrard and Rangers.

Mads Anderson – Defender (Barnsley)

The Gers have conceded just 11 goals in their 34 league games this term so you’d be forgiven for thinking there would be no need to strengthen the Rangers back four. However, as is the way of thinking at Ibrox under the current regime, constant improvement is what will continue the side’s dominance.

Standing at 6ft5, the Dane has been colossal for the Tykes this season in a season that has seen them perform above expectations. Statistically, you could argue that the 23-year-old has been the best defender in the league this term, making 5.4 interceptions per game (a league best), and 5.4 clearances per game.

Anderson reads the game exceptional well and is able to snuff out attacks before the begin. He may be a giant, but his key qualifies allow him to rely on more than just brute force to win his battles and would be excellent competition for first choice centre backs Connor Goldson and Filip Helander.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.