Proving that the model of having a sporting director or director of football is a smart move, Rangers, despite not having a manager, continue to be linked with potential targets to improve the squad.
The Chronicle has reported that Rangers – as well as Celtic – are eyeing up Newcastle United’s Joe White who is out of contract in the summer and, as such, able to speak to clubs outside of England about a pre-contract move in January.
There is still a snobbery about free transfers as we saw this summer when we signed Fashion Sakala, John Lundstram and Juninho Bacuna without paying upfront fees and yet they are talented, multi-million pound players – if anything, it is better business to sign such quality without splashing out, especially when money is tight.
White is a talented player on the fringe of the first team at St James’s Park and as revealed by The Chronicle, we aren’t the only ones after him:
“Newcastle United are in danger of losing Joe White for a minimal compensation fee this summer.
“The 6ft 1in midfielder rose from the reserve and youth team ranks to be handed a professional contract at 17.
“Now 19, he is nearing the end of his deal in 2022 but is allowed to talk to club’s outside of England from January onwards.
“White is already attracting interest from both Old firm clubs in Celtic and Rangers as well Premier League, Bundesliga and Eredivisie clubs who are all keeping an eye on him knowing they can get a potential bargain.”
These are the sort of signings that make sense for our player trading model, even if they aren’t a roaring success. By getting them on free transfers it means that, if they are sold further down the line, it will help the bank balance, not every player sold has to be sold for tens of millions.
It’s the ideal market for us to be shopping in, we saw last summer when we signed Charlie McCann from Manchester United that there are talented youngsters available and we should take full advantage of the regulations that let us get in there first, with the window soon to open, it’s very much a case of watch this space.