NO NEED FOR NEW MAN TO FLOG STARS
NEW boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been assured he won’t have to oversee a fire sale at Ibrox at the end of his first month in the hotseat.
The 46-year-old was officially paraded as Rangers gaffer yesterday afternoon by sporting director Ross Wilson and managing director Stewart Robertson, who this month announced an eye-watering loss of £23.5million for the financial year.
But, despite the club’s ongoing difficulties off the pitch, van Bronckhorst has been told he won’t have to slap any for sale signs on his star men when the transfer market reopens for business in the new year.
Wilson said: “We as a club have been clear – there is no mandate that we have to sell players. We have been really clear in our communications that we see player trading as something that has to be normal for this club, as it is for nearly every club in world football.
“We haven’t been strong on that in the past. That’s clear to see.
“But our investors have continued to back this club all the time.
“We have rejected some significant offers for players in the last two windows.
“We will do so again unless they are the right offers, for the right players at the right time. If we accept any offers, then we will be investing back into the squad to keep taking us forward.
“But there is no requirement on the manager to have to sell anyone.”
Wilson, though, was not quite so unequivocal when asked if van Bronckhorst may be given some money of his own to spend in the January sales.
He said: “Gio will take a view on the squad, first and foremost. We will then have a chat about how that looks.
“If Gio wants to do anything, we’ll take a view on that and have a look at it. There’s nothing set in stone right here right now.
“But we are absolutely aware that we always want to improve this squad in any way we possibly can.
“If Gio thinks there’s something that we’ve got to do, then we’ll look at it.”