CUT TO THE CHASE
Wilson set to trim squad but is open to adding quality for title bid
ROSS WILSON insists Rangers won’t be ‘scrambling around’ in this month’s transfer market as he confirmed the priority was to offload fringe players.
The Ibrox sporting director isn’t ruling out the arrival of new faces, but stresses they would have to be capable of immediately raising the quality available to Steven Gerrard in his Premiership title bid.
Rangers will primarily focus on trimming the first-team squad, meaning the likes of Greg Docherty, Matt Polster and Jamie Murphy could all exit.
Andy King has returned to Leicester City after making only five substitute appearances following his loan arrival in August.
Wilson believes Gerrard is content with the pool of players at his disposal, thereby negating any need to replicate the huge activity of some previous transfer windows.
Rangers signed 11 players last summer and five during the previous January window.
‘Steven and myself have been really clear on this,’ said Wilson, who left Southampton to replace Mark Allen at Rangers in October.
‘The squad is too big, we need to reduce the size of the squad and we have been consistent on that.
‘It’s not as easy as flicking a switch because it’s the January transfer window and it’s difficult. That is our
No 1 aim, however. The second job we had in mind was the contracts of those guys we felt we wanted here beyond the summer. ‘We’ve started that process with the new deals for Allan McGregor and Steven Davis. ‘We don’t want to be scrambling around looking for anyone to come in. ‘If an opportunity arises and we feel it can improve the group then we will move on it. But we won’t be scrambling around. There’s nothing Steven and the rest of the coaching staff are looking at and saying: “We absolutely have to strengthen there”. ‘At a time when we’re trying to reduce the numbers, it would make no sense to bring in another squad player. ‘It would have to be something that would improve us straight away because we are quite happy with how things are.’