'Hard Sell' - Pundit view: Rangers have to pay 'Big Bucks' after incoming deals collapse

Rangers are finding it a “hard-sell” to convince quality signings to come to Scotland when they want to be playing in the top five European leagues, says Derek Ferguson.

Philippe Clement has already seen pursuits of two players fall through at a late stage after moves for Jose Cordoba [Chris Jack, 29 May] and Yusuf Kabadayi [Scottish Sun, 4 July] failed despite appearing close to Ibrox switches, signing for Norwich and Augsburg respectively instead.

Couhaib Driouech is another who told Voetbal International (19 July) that he had turned down an Ibrox move as he wanted to go to PSV Eindhoven.

Former Gers favourite Ferguson feels the Light Blues have no choice but to offer big money to convince players to head to the Scottish Premiership but currently don’t have the money to do so.

“It’s probably a hard-sell to get players to come to Scotland,” he exclusively told Ibrox News.

“I think if you asked them they’d want to be playing in the top leagues, and that’s the Premier League in England, Serie A, La Liga. You’ve obviously got to pay the big bucks to get them to come. I don’t think at the minute we’re able to do that.

“Then you look at the style of football we’ve got and a lot of players probably look at it and won’t fancy it. Maybe our climate as well. 

“You take all of these factors into consideration. That’s why it’s so hard and sometimes why you think you’ve got a player, and the manager thinks he’s got a player, it can fall through at the last minute.

“Nine times out of 10 it’s about money. But also it’s about the lifestyle as well. Maybe they just look at Scotland and it’s not an attractive option for a lot of these players.”

Rangers miss out on Jose Cordoba and Yusuf Kabadayi

It has proven to be an increasingly frustrating summer for Clement as early youthful signings have given way to an inability to shift players out when the Belgian has admitted he has to sell to buy [Daily Record, 13 July].

He has also been handed an unwelcome disruption to the start of his season with the inability to play at Ibrox.

But with transfer exits starting to form for prominent figures such as James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Sam Lammers the manager could be set for the financial windfall to tempt overseas targets to Scotland.

If he focuses on signings who are already playing in Scotland he won’t have the problem at all, and has already picked up the likes of Connor Barron from Aberdeen and Liam Kelly from Motherwell.

So renewed interest in Hearts star Lawrence Shankland [Daily Record, 22 July] and Fir Park prodigy Lennon Miller [Football Scotland, 10 July] wouldn’t need either to be convinced to play in this league and both could be hugely beneficial.

In other Rangers news, a vital eight-figure windfall is finally on the cards for an unwanted Light Blues player.

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