Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has told shareholders he expects between three and five additional signings before the transfer window shuts, while acknowledging that early-season results have fallen short of expectations. The club has already brought in nine new players this summer under new manager Derek McInnes, yet Rangers hold just one point from two league matches and trail Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-1 heading into the second leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie.
Speaking at an open forum in Glasgow, Cavenagh described the club's business so far this summer as "clunky" but insisted the recruitment team is working hard to turn things around.
"There's certainly work to be done," he said. "I don't like putting a number on it but certainly I'd hope three to five more players are coming in and a number will possibly go out."
Rangers are due to host Jagiellonia in the second leg on Thursday, with the winner facing either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgian side Iberia Tbilisi in the play-off round. Cavenagh acknowledged the awkward timing of fixtures colliding with the transfer window.
"It sucks that we have to play a number of important games before the window closes but that's how it works," Cavenagh added.
Reflecting on his tenure since taking charge roughly a year ago, Cavenagh said the club's stated goal has been to build "sustained winning and winning sustainably."
"I understand we're not there yet; I'm more optimistic now than I was a year ago," he said. "We could look at how things have gone in the first three games and sit here and sulk, but we're not going to do that. When we came in, we realised finishing second and sometimes worse, was seeping into every corner of this club and we had to change that, but it takes time."
Who else featured in the shareholder meeting?
Cavenagh was joined at the forum by chief executive Jim Gillespie and shareholder Paraag Marathe. Gillespie fielded questions on the appointment of McInnes, who narrowly missed out on the title with Hearts last season, and explained the thinking behind the hire.
"You can go for a Pep [Guardiola] style manager or a [Jurgen] Klopp style manager - we wanted a Klopp-style manager who plays on the front foot," Gillespie said. "Derek has been high on our list for a long time and we think he fits the style and culture of this club."
Gillespie also confirmed Rangers are seeking clarification from the Scottish Football Association over a VAR decision that awarded Hibernian a penalty during Sunday's 2-1 league defeat.
"It was my understanding that it has to be a clear and obvious error for the referee to be called over," Gillespie said. "I didn't see that as either clear or obvious. We need a strategy for developing referees and VAR. My question for the SFA would be 'what is the strategy for improvement?' - we have to get improvement."
What has Rangers' summer recruitment looked like so far?
According to Sky Sports, McInnes has already worked with a summer intake that included goalkeeper Ivan Pandur, defender Ross McCrorie, forward Lawrence Shankland, midfielder Dan Neil and defender Ben Godfrey. That report differs slightly from the figure given by Cavenagh, with the original account citing nine new arrivals overall while the named group detailed by Sky Sports numbers five at that stage of the window.
The push for fresh faces follows a turbulent recent period for Rangers' squad planning. Earlier in the summer, midfielder Nicolas Raskin indicated he wanted to leave the club amid interest from Atalanta, while the club had also been in discussions over other transfer targets, including talks with Coventry City regarding winger Jahnoah Markelo. Rangers' broader financial strategy has also been under scrutiny since spring, when the club launched a £16m share issue specifically aimed at funding investment in the men's squad.
What happens next for Rangers?
Beyond Thursday's second leg against Jagiellonia Bialystok, Rangers were reported to be hoping to confirm another signing within 48 hours, according to a later update, with the possibility of a further addition arriving before the club's season opener away to Dundee United on 31 July. Separate reporting from the Scotsman indicated the club was also plotting additional recruitment around a friendly against St Etienne, with midfielder Vanja Dragojevic of Partizan Belgrade among the names linked with a possible move to Ibrox.
The uneven start to the European campaign fits into a wider pattern across Scottish football this month, with Scottish clubs experiencing mixed fortunes in continental competition, as Hearts and Rangers suffered defeats while Hibernian and Motherwell kept their European hopes alive.
Key Facts
- Rangers have made nine summer signings so far, according to chairman Andrew Cavenagh, though Sky Sports names five confirmed arrivals including Ivan Pandur, Ross McCrorie, Lawrence Shankland, Dan Neil and Ben Godfrey.
- The club sits on one point from two league games under new manager Derek McInnes.
- Rangers trail Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-1 ahead of Thursday's Europa League third qualifying round second leg at Ibrox.
- Cavenagh expects three to five further signings before the transfer window closes, with departures also possible.
- Rangers are reported to be targeting another signing within 48 hours and a possible addition before their season opener at Dundee United on 31 July.
