Warburton vows to continue using loophole to attract bargains
By Matthew Lindsay
MARK Warburton has confirmed Rangers intend to continue exploiting the controversial loophole that has enabled them to lure several exciting young English players to Scotland this summer.
Warburton is optimistic he can add Joe Dodoo, the former Leicester City forward who has impressed during training at Auchenhowie last week, to his squad in the coming days.
The Ibrox club will only have to pay a nominal fee for the 21-year-old, whose contract at the King Power Stadium expired at the end of last season, if an agreement can be reached.
Dodoo could, after the capture of Matt Crooks, Jordan Rossiter and Josh Windass in the close season, be the latest talented youngster from over the border to join Rangers.
The Ladbrokes Premiership club can, due to cross-border transfer regulations, bring in English players under the age of 24 for a fraction of the price that their counterparts down south have to pay.
Indeed, Rossiter, the England Under-19 midfielder who has been signed from Liverpool for £250,000, was valued at a cool £8 million by the Anfield club.
The manager and owner of Accrington Stanley, the Sky Bet League Two club that both Crooks and Windass played for, were both unhappy with the pair being secured by Rangers on pre-contract agreements in January.
However, Warburton stressed that Rangers had acted within the guidelines laid down by Fifa and stated they would continue to target young English footballers who become available.
“We have to find a way of attracting talent,” he said. “The club have followed strict protocol. It’s a more formulaic approach to the transfer fee. Celtic have done exactly the same by getting [Moussa] Dembele. It’s the same process.
“English clubs are terrified of tribunals because you just never know what will come out of it.
“Once a decision is made at a tribunal you have to stick to it. It’s a scary one for them, with talented young players the fee could be anything.
“So for us, it’s more defined. We know exactly what a player will cost us. It’s important that we use every possible advantage.
“No club wants to lose their best young players. But the English clubs are aware of the situation, it’s a Fifa directive. All clubs like Rangers are doing is following the protocol.”
Warburton, who spent a spell as the academy manager at Watford before moving into management with Brentford, believes the onus is on English clubs, not on buying clubs, to ensure their young players don’t leave for small sums.
“The secret is finding the balance and knowing when to move,” he said. “You can offer players a contract too
early. He might never get better than he is that day. That’s the risk you run. Some players get better and soar to the highest level.
“But if you leave it too late, you also run the risk of losing the player. It’s a balancing act. That’s why planning and preparation at any club is vital. You don’t want your squad on the same length of contract at the same time. Otherwise you risk losing your whole squad.”
Warburton added: “There were some comments made regarding Crooks and Windass coming here. But all we did was adhere to Fifa guidelines.
“It’s a loophole for us. It helps us with targets and recruitment. Could we afford to buy certain players without it? No, we couldn’t. We still have to attract the players and do our work to create the right environment. So it’s far from easy.
“But if we can we need to get value for money and then develop them. Take Jordan Rossiter. Who knows where he’ll be in three years’ time? We see the pedigree, the talent and the attitude of the boy. Everyone has benefited from a move like his.”
Meanwhile, Warburton has predicted Rossiter, who helped the England Under-19 team beat France 2-1 in the European Championship finals in Germany last week, can make an immediate impact with Rangers this season.
“He had a very good game for England’s U19 side in midweek,” he said. “I watched it and he looked to get on the ball. I was delighted with what I saw. Hopefully he can carry that on in the tournament. He’ll come back in a good state of fitness and should fit in seamlessly.
“Jordan will be better for playing at the U19 Euros. We might have had to give him a break in the season if he’d had a full season playing last year. But he had an injury at Liverpool and missed a large chunk.
“His load-in was lighter and he’ll be OK. He’ll be eager to play for us when he gets back.”
Warburton, who is still looking to sign another defender and striker, said his interest in Adrian Mariappa, the Jamaican internationalist who parted company with Crystal Palace at the end of last season, had cooled.