GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST admits he must trim the fat from his Ibrox squad after holding talks with a handful of Rangers fringe players.
The Dutchman has signed seven new faces ahead of the new campaign as he has added strength and depth and invested significantly in terms of fees and wages.
Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey have joined Southampton and Ajax respectively and Rangers will now focus on reducing their squad size before the close of business this summer.
Van Bronckhorst said: "I talked with players in the last week to make sure their status at this moment - if the possibility is to stay or maybe look for game-time elsewhere.
"We communicated with those players. (Niko) Katic is one of them.
"(Glenn) Middleton is going to Dundee United. I don’t know if it’s official yet but the deal is done so we wish him all the best with his new club.
"I think to have a big squad is always nice as a coach but you also have to give players perspective in game-time. You can only play with 11.
"Of course, you need to have a good squad to cover all positions and have competition but if you have too many players, it’s not good for the squad or the players’ game-time. The squad will be smaller in the coming weeks."
Defender Katic is one of the most high-profile stars to have been told that he is free to find a new club this summer.
The Croatian spent last term on loan with Hadjuk Split in his homeland but the arrivals of John Souttar and Ben Davies have pushed him further down the pecking order.
Van Bronckhorst said: "I have spoken with Niko in the last week about his future with the club and we agreed that it would be nice for Niko to get another club and play elsewhere.
"His future for the next season will not be at Rangers. Of course he has to find a club where he can play, we will help him with that, and hopefully he will find a new challenge elsewhere."
