Rangers signing of Todd Cantwell is the landmark first arrival for Michael Beale with the promise of more players to follow.
With the number 13 squad number emblazoned on his back, the former Norwich man will be aiming for his arrival to have negative or unlucky consequences for the opponents he will face in a Rangers shirt.
As well as carrying the need to deliver here and now, there is a sizable part of Beale’s planning that concerns what happens next, shaping his side for next season and beyond. It will be to Cantwell’s benefit that he was the second half of the current campaign to bed in, ahead of his first full season next time round and by then there will be further turnover in the squad.
That should also be the case by the end of this month, just over one week away. Beale is on the record as to his aspirations for the present window and it remains to be seen what further business will be done. It will come as a great relief and in satisfaction that the club has finally got off the mark in terms of incomings this month, now into the fourth week.
This signing and a hefty package for a talented English player, albeit one who hasn’t quite fulfilled his true potential, represents a crucial period for Rangers and the tenure of Michael Beale. After the triumph of 55 in 2021, there was no real progress at Ibrox and unbelievably, despite the heights of the Europa League Final last season, there is still a situation of distance to be made up domestically on the league leaders as well as ensuring evolution of the current squad and the playing style on the pitch.
At 24, Todd Cantwell should be bursting to show what he is capable of, at a general level in Scotland where he should excel. The manager recently spoke of his excitement of the profile and type of assets that he was looking to recruit. The proof of the pudding is usually in the eating but in these football terms, Beale, Cantwell and the others to follow will have to prove their credentials via performances and impact on the pitch.