Sensational three-player swoop could prove Stevie Ger’s box-office potential
Our fans are really excited about this new season, and it shows in our historic season ticket sales. Unprecedented Broomloan Stand season tickets are going on sale to our fans, who are signing up in their droves for the remaining season books available.
All this for the new Rangers side who will be completely revamped under the one and only Stevie Gerrard for his 4-year-reign at Ibrox, starting on 1 June.
Attracting certain players to come to Scotland would solely be due to the might and power of his worldwide reputation, but the bigger and better the player required by Stevie, brings with it the following problems.
1. Is the player still under contract to his present club and for how long?
2. What is the price his club will insist on taking, before allowing the player to leave?
3. Then, the biggest stumbling block of all, what wages will the player finally accept?
Take the example of attempting to sign 33-year-old current international captain, Martin Skrtel, from a top class side like Fenerbahce.
The Turkish team paid Liverpool £4.5m for his services in the summer of 2016 and will expect a decent transfer return, before releasing him. Then his wage demand – result, too heavy a price to pay for a player who will turn 34 on the 15th of December!
Skrtel would have been the perfect Pied Piper for the rest to follow, but again when these complex financial matters are far apart in wages and transfer fee, it becomes too big an obstacle for either side to overcome.
Most players will take great pleasure working under the direction of Gerrard and his background staff, as players always want to work with special managers, but only if the money is right.
To win the league next season, Gerrard needs to buy 6 or 7 really top pros, coupled with the best of our current squad.
Most players would love to join Stevie in turning Ibrox fortunes around, but wages will always be the problem with any blockbuster signing.
All the other big names lined up for the Govan club have only manifested themselves due to Gerrard’s obvious influence, but worryingly, many could end up with the same result as Skrtel.
On the other hand another piece of good business would be a year-long-loan-deal for the magnificent potential of 21-year-old Harry Wilson, who is a flying winger who greatly impressed at Hull City. He played in the Championship for the Tigers from January to May and he scored 7 goals in only 13 games.
It would also be a massive coup for Gerrard if he could pull off the signing of 31-year-old Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva from Lazio, who amassed 346 games for Liverpool and has 24 caps for Brazil but the Serie A star has implied he’s staying in Rome.
Meanwhile since Brighton snapped up Nigerian international central defender Leon Balogun to play for the Seagulls next season, all signs point to 25-year-old, 6ft 3in centre back Connor Goldson heading to Ibrox.
These type of signings would prove how big an impact Gerrard is already having on the balance of power between the two Glasgow sides. No wonder the season ticket sales are unprecedented.