Rangers have signed Connor Goldson from Premier League Brighton – should Scottish Premiership and Old Firm rivals Celtic be jealous?
For the first time since Rangers were promoted back to the Scottish Premiership in 2016, have they signed a player who would walk into the starting XI of their bitter local rivals Celtic?
Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish football landscape, securing a domestic treble in each of the two seasons since Rangers’ return, and won the last two Old Firm games by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0.
So there is a major challenge facing Steven Gerrard in his first managerial role. But signing quality, Premier League level performers like Connor Goldson should go a long way to bridging the colossal gap between the two Glasgow giants.
As reported by the Scottish Sun, the Brighton defender has put pen to paper with Rangers in a deal that is likely to have cost somewhere in the region of £3 million. And you could certainly make an argument that he is the only member of Rangers’ squad who would be good enough to call himself a starter at Celtic.
Goldson is Rangers’ sixth summer signing but, in truth, Ovie Ejaria, Jamie Murphy, Allan McGregor, Nikola Katic and Scott Arfield would probably find themselves stuck on Brendan Rodgers’ bench if they had joined the green-clad Glasgow outfit instead.
Goldson, however, is possibly the most gifted defender in the Old Firm on paper, though it remains to be seen how he adapts to Scottish football. Celtic’s defence lacks quality with Jozo Simunovic, Dedryck Boyata and Jack Hendry all coming under fire at times last season.
And if Rangers really want to make next season interesting, more signings like Goldson are needed.
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