Fabio Cardoso became the fourth signing of the close season for Rangers on Wednesday, further proof that Pedro Caixinha is not just determined to bring in talent early to the club this summer but bring in talent from abroad that he knows well.
Bruno Alves, Dalcio and Cardoso himself all come from Caixinha’s homeland Portugal, the Ibrox boss utilising his European contacts well to secure talent he feels will impact on the Rangers first team.
Caixinha is also apparently looking at bringing in players from his time in Mexico too with the likes of Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera arriving in Glasgow over the last week for medicals, two players he knows from his time as Santos Laguna manager.
Complementing these foreign signings is former Aberdeen Ryan Jack, who signed on a free after his contract expire at Pittodrie. Caixinha recognises that he can’t fill the first team with players who have no experience of Scottish football.
With this foreign talent set to make their mark on Ibrox, we reckon the club should now turn their attention to domestic talent and pick up some of the brightest and best in the SPFL.
Here are THREE Scottish stars we reckon would be good purchases this summer…
Jamie Walker
With his contract at Tynecastle due to expire next year, Hearts Director of Football Craig Levein confirmed last week that the left-winger wants to leave the club and test himself elsewhere.
Walker has been in outstanding form in the Scottish Premiership this season, scoring 12 goals for the Jam Tarts, more than any Rangers player scored in the competition.
His ability on the left-wing, cutting inside is beyond most other in the league outside of Celtic and if Rangers can do a deal for him then it should be pursued.
Still just 23 years old, he has the potential to be an even more effective presence in the top-flight, especially when surrounded by better players than he’s alongside at Hearts, and would be the kind of player that can really excite the Ibrox home support.
Liam Lindsay
Liam Lindsay made it into the PFA Scotland Team Of The Year at centre-back and rightly so. At just 21 years of age he’s emerged as one of the best defensive prospects in the entire country.
He’s helped Partick Thistle secure their highest finish in top-flight football since the early eighties, with his assured and committed performances at the heart of their defence.
It’s an area of the pitch Rangers have been found lacking in all season and some fresh blood would surely give that backline a boost. At 6ft 3in, he has the physicality required to be a hit at Ibrox but is capable on the ball too, gaining plaudits for his ability to play the ball out of defence.
With the signing of Bruno Alves, the Light Blues have made a statement that they’re ready to turn up the heat on Celtic next season and putting Lindsay alongside the Portuguese legend could be a masterstroke. Alves undoubtedly has a lot of knowledge and experience to impart on young players and coupled with the upward trajectory of Lindsay’s career so far, it could be the kind of pairing that makes Rangers a strong defensive force.
Craig Sibbald
Up to now Craig Sibbald has been a one-team player with Falkirk but at the age of 22 and with his contract expiring at the Bairns this summer, it seems inevitable that he will finally move on from the club. One of the brightest prospects in the Scottish Championship, Sibbald was again the driving force for their promotion push last season, finishing the campaign as their top scorer with 10 goals from midfield.
With over 200 senior appearances to his name already at the age of just 22, he’s had a fine education at Falkirk but a move to a bigger team could be the making of him. Frankly, it’s surprising a team hasn’t come in for him in prior transfer windows.
Like Jamie Walker, he’s the kind of player that can entertain and excite the Rangers support with his ability to find space in between the opposition midfield and defence.
If he rejects the advances of a new contract at Falkirk and is available on a free then a move for him is relatively risk free and he would certainly add competition and some fresh blood to an area of the pitch that badly needs a spark next season.
