Johnston excited by Ibrox transfer strategy
Alastair Johnston is confident that the push for an improved transfer model at Rangers will pay long-term dividends.
Philippe Clement, who took over as manager last October, recently spoke about the “crazy situation” where five of his squad are out of contract in the summer. Firstteam players Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe will all go at the end of the season unless they are offered and accept new deals at Ibrox. Clement said: “We want to get transfers in that can have an impact now but also can have added value for the next couple of years on the field and selling them for bigger amounts.”
Nils Koppen officially started as director of football recruitment at Rangers on January 2 following his move from PSV, where he was head of scouting. With an eye to the future as well as the present, 22-year-old midfielder Mohamed Diomande was signed from Danish side Nordsjaelland, initially on loan, with Rangers having an obligation to buy the Ivory Coast Under-23 international.
The Govan club are reportedly set to bring in 20-yearold Brazilian left-back Jefte, currently on loan at Cypriot side APOEL, from Fluminense and have been strongly linked with 20-year-old
Colombian winger Oscar Cortes, who would move on loan from French side Lens with an option to buy.
Johnston, a non-executive director and former chairman, admits the new business model has a “very strong influence” at Ibrox. “I suppose in the past we haven’t quite had the expertise internally to actually affect that as well as we should,” said Johnston. “We recognise that it is the good and the bad – the better they play for us, the bigger the loss. But at the end of the day, if you can keep that business model active and continue to do it, on balance, our team is going to grow and become better in the long term in terms of continuing to appease supporters, who are certainly the number one audience that we have to cater to, to make sure that, every month of every year, Rangers are fielding as good a team as they can.
"I’m pretty confident that we have the right people in the right places to effectuate that strategy.”