Regardless of what happens in the rest of the season, Glasgow Rangers manager Danny Rohl needs to work with the club to revamp their recruitment strategy.
The Light Blues have not won the Scottish Premiership since the 2020/21 campaign and their last domestic trophy was held by Philippe Clement in the 2023/24 season.
The main reason why the Gers have struggled in recent years is that they have not been recognized enough to get the money they deserve in the market.
They failed to replace the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Joe Aribo, Connor Goldson, and Ryan Kent in the title-winning team under Steven Gerrard, which is why they have gone five years without a title.
Therefore, the German head coach needs to tap into what has been a success for the Ibrox giants in the past ahead of next summer’s transfer window.
What Danny Rohl can learn from the Rangers’ most successful transfer
One of the common themes surrounding the club’s best players in recent years, from Gerrard’s team to the present, is that success has been for young players with something to prove.
The likes of Kent, Goldson, and Aribo all came from the lower ranks of English football with something to prove, and made names for themselves at Ibrox as young players looking to take the next step in their careers.
Rangers even made a profit when they sold Aribo to Southampton for £6m after acquiring him for £300k from League One Charlton three years earlier.
The Nigerian scored 26 goals in 149 games for Rangers, including one in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, before he was sold for a profit, and left the club as an unquestionably good piece of business.
Rohl can learn from the success of Aribo, Kent, and Goldson, because they are the type of players to target, rather than Championship veterans who are past their prime and likely to improve.
The Rangers have already signed their next Joe Aribo
When Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell failed to sign Joe Rothwell, the equivalent of a veteran in the Championship, last summer, the pair signed the club’s next Aribo.
Among other things, like Rothwell, Thelwell scored the signing of defender Emmanuel Fernandez, who was named in the PFA Premiership Team of the Year earlier this month.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Emmanuel Fernandez |
|---|---|
|
Appearance |
22 |
|
Goals |
5 |
|
Clean sheets |
9 |
|
Erasure |
150 |
|
The discovery of the ball |
106 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
65% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
72% |
The centre-back, who started just one game under Martin, has been a revelation at the heart of the defense for Rohl, starting 19 of his 20 appearances under the German manager.
Fernandez’s ability to combine a brilliant defensive work, evidenced by his success rate in duels on the ground and in space, with a threat in the opposition box has made him a fan favorite at Ibrox this season.
Rangers paid £3.5m to sign him from League One side Peterborough United last summer in a risky move for the club, as he had never played above the third tier in England.
Fortunately, as was the case with Aribo, he rose from League One to the Premiership and emerged as a star for the Light Blues, causing his market value to rise.
Football Insider reports this week that the Scottish giants could agree to an offer of up to £20m for the defender, amid interest from West Ham United, just 12 months after signing him for £3.5m.
This means the Gers could make a profit of £16.5m a year after signing the defender, should the Hammers or another club swoop in for £20m in the next summer transfer window.
Regardless of whether or not he leaves Ibrox this summer, Rangers’ £20m bid for Fernandez already shows the club have hit the jackpot with the defender, as does the fact he was named in the Team of the Year this month.
The 24-year-old star followed in Aribo’s footsteps by moving from League One to Rangers to deliver excellent performances and increase his value.
Hopefully, Fernandez can end Aribo’s journey by winning another Premiership title with Rohl’s team in the final games of the current campaign.
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