Alex Rae believes Rangers should sell one of their prized assets to fund a Gio van Bronckhorst transfer splurge. The former Ibrox midfielder expects at least one of Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelo s to go this summer, with a year left on their current deals.
Aribo has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with the likes of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest showing an interest. Rae doesn’t expect all three to leave Govan. But he says for Dutch boss van Bronckhorst to be able to bring in his own players and freshen up the Gers squad, the club’s player trading model must kick into gear.
The Reading assistant boss said: “The club finds itself at a crossroads in relation to these players’ contracts. They have three of good value going into their last year and if they’re not going to re-sign, you might want to cash in. That would allow them to re-invest. It would be the first time in a few years where Rangers could then look at a different type of player, as opposed to free transfers.
“It would get the trading model up and running. Whether they want to cash in on all three? That would be a stretch. But it would allow them to spend potentially £20million plus.
“I see this as a good opportunity for Rangers. Nathan Patterson was the start of it last year. The Ibrox board can’t keep picking up the tab. With Patterson’s sale and the European run, Rangers will be in a good place financially so the question is: how many will they let go?
“You can’t sell all three – Aribo, Kent and Morelos – unless you have really good targets in mind. If you sold all three, you’d be looking at bringing in fortunes. So you could actually go and pay fees Rangers haven’t been able to pay recently.
“They could go for £7m or £8m players and look at potential returns of around £25 million. Good teams are freshened up every three or four years.
“You can’t just keep going with the same type of players every year. So freshening it up could do them the world of good. Remember, this is Gio’s first real transfer window. This is when we get an idea of what Gio can bring to the table.”
Aribo is being courted by clubs in England after a terrific season at Ibrox. Rae has no doubt the Nigerian is capable of playing in the EPL. And if he does go, he’d like to see Rangers go for Lewis Ferguson.
He said: “From a physical point of view, Aribo could walk into the Premier League. He’s also very good technically. I’ve always said that Lewis would be a good one for Rangers. He’s still only 22 but a Scotland international now."
Alex Rae was speaking at a Papa John’s SPFL event in Glasgow. Papa John’s is the official takeaway and delivery partner of the SPFL. The pizza brand will give supporters fantastic events and ticket opportunities throughout the season.
