Rangers Transfer Plans: McInnes Aims for Four New Signings
Rangers are braced for a hectic final stretch of the summer window, with Derek McInnes pushing for as many as four more signings – but only once a wave of departures clears space in a squad still very much under construction.
The recent arrival of defender Olwethu Makhanya from Philadelphia Union has nudged the rebuild forward, yet inside Ibrox there is a clear sense that this is only the start. The manager wants fresh legs, fresh ideas and, crucially, fresh width.
Wide men top of McInnes’ wishlist
McInnes has made no secret internally of his priority: Rangers need more threat on the flanks. The message from the training ground is blunt. The team lacks enough pace and punch out wide, and the manager wants two new wingers through the door before the window shuts.
That need has only grown as players move on. Oliver Antman has already departed for Anderlecht, while Nedim Bajrami is closing in on a switch to the Saudi Pro League. Those exits strip options from both the front line and midfield, leaving gaps that cannot be ignored if Rangers are to live with the demands of a long domestic and European campaign.
The pressure to replace that creativity is real. McInnes wants players who can beat a man, carry the ball and change the tempo of a game in an instant. The kind of signings that alter the mood in a stadium.
Defence under the microscope
Out wide is not the only concern. Behind the scenes, defensive reinforcements sit just as high on the agenda.
Rangers are targeting two more defenders to bolster the back line, with John Souttar widely expected to move on. His anticipated exit would leave a sizeable hole in central defence, one the club does not intend to leave unfilled.
Makhanya’s arrival is seen as an important step, but not the final one. McInnes wants depth and competition, not just cover. With a congested fixture list looming, the idea of going into the season light at the back simply isn’t on the table.
Midfield plans hinge on big decisions
In midfield, the picture is more delicate. Another central midfielder is not currently at the top of McInnes’ list. That stance only shifts if Rangers manage to move on one of Connor Barron, Mo Diomande or, most significantly, Nico Raskin.
Those potential exits have already put the brakes on any immediate move for Jens Herto Dahl from Tromso. The interest is there, but without an outgoing, the deal stays parked.
All eyes, though, are on Raskin. Any departure for the Belgian would reshape the entire window.
Rated at more than £20 million, Raskin has attracted serious attention from Villarreal and other European clubs. A sale at that level would represent the biggest financial injection of the summer, giving McInnes the kind of flexibility most managers can only envy. It would also rip out an important part of his current midfield.
That is the trade-off. Cash to accelerate the rebuild, at the cost of one of the side’s key figures.
Clock ticking before Dundee United opener
Time is not on Rangers’ side. The new Premiership campaign starts on Friday night away to Dundee United at Tannadice, and McInnes is pushing hard to get new faces in early enough for them to bed in.
He knows what lies ahead: a demanding domestic schedule, European commitments, and a support that expects a team ready to compete from day one, not still finding its feet in October.
The summer has already brought change, but inside the club there is no sense that the job is done. With just over a month left before the deadline, the focus is razor sharp – add quality and depth out wide, strengthen the back line, and only then revisit midfield if the right offer lands for one of their assets.
The 49ers’ backing ensures Rangers are not short of ambition. The next few weeks will reveal whether they can turn that ambition into a squad capable of carrying it.
