The news that Rangers are in for West Ham’s Ben Johnson, albeit maybe not with the strongest chance of getting the experienced Premier League player given other PL rivals are also vying for his signature, shows that only one day after Ibrox Noise explained how the club has to stop shopping in the bargain bin, we may well already have done so.
Johnson, 100%, is the calibre of player Rangers require – a 24-year-old with 65 appearances in the Premier League is precisely the level we need, and it shows that maybe this summer the club is going in the right direction at long, long last.
We know we’re not getting Haaland for goodness’ sake, we know our limitations fall a bit short of Jude Bellingham (even if Kenty absolutely ripped him a new one on the way to Sevilla), but getting a League One kid or a Championship reject simply isn’t good enough for this club.
The Cantwells, Dowells, Lawrences and Sterlings are not the market we need to be in. It doesn’t matter if one or two of them might luck out and be half decent, we need players of the mentality of PL quality.
Dowell does have 20 appearances at that level, Cantwell about 50, but both came from the Championship ultimately and that’s too modest for what Rangers aspire to.
Sterling may be turning out to be a Calvin Bassey in a sense, but still, taking a gamble on a guy who couldn’t cut it at Leicester or Coventry is the Cheapo-Mart that Rangers shouldn’t be in.
The fact is we signed Jack Butland, a top PL-level goalie, and look at the difference it makes. That’s the level we’re used to from the old days, and sorry, but Tav and Goldson have never been close to that level.
We need PL-experienced players, players also experienced in Euro top leagues like Balogun with his plenty of Bundesliga appearances, because that kind of quality and the best of Scotland is what Rangers should be.
Not England League One or even Championship.
So hopefully our interest in Johnson is a sign of things to come, because the only way you get a proper Rangers is not by signing a player who can’t get a game for Wolves or even Wigan.
Hopefully the club has sussed that now.