Mark Warburton developed a reputation as one of Britain’s most astute talent spotters at Brentford and is aiming to establish a similar policy at Rangers.
It’s difficult to argue with assistant manager David Weir’s assessment that Rangers have brought too many changes upon themselves in the transfer market.
“We’ve got to try to recruit the right players, make them better and fit them within your system. Football isn’t a science. We’ve changed 25 players in 18 months. It’s too many,” the former title-winning captain said as reported by the Daily Record.
He’s got a point. A grand total of 12 new players arrived at Ibrox in the summer and, thus far, only 38-year-old centre-back Clint Hill can be described as an unqualified success. Others, such as Joey Barton and Matt Crooks, are no longer present in the Rangers squad for one reason or another.
However, although manager Mark Warburton’s transfer policy has been subjected to intense scrutiny as the gap between themselves Celtic turned into a chasm, Weir points out that the former Brentford boss’ history in youth development, not to mention profiteering, could prove rather beneficial in the long-term.
“Mark has a history in youth development,” the 46-year-old added. “We’ve worked at Brentford and brought players in and tried to improve them.
“Andre Gray went for £9 million, Moses Odubajo for £5 million, James Tarkowski £5 million and Scott Hogan looks like being the next for anything up to £15 million.
“These were lads playing in League One or non-league and they were developed. It’s a process that takes time. It’s not a quick fix. It doesn’t happen by accident.”
Rangers may be one of the most illustrious clubs in European football but harsh reality dictates that they must buy low and sell high in order to grasp onto Celtic’s coattails.
The Bhoys themselves are masters at identifying young talent and selling them on for a huge fee. Moussa Dembele will not be sold on the cheap after all.
Therefore, Weir’s comments offer an intriguing insight into Rangers’ long-term strategy. It appears that they, too, are aiming to sign young, hungry players and sell them on in order to reinvest in the squad.
And, in former city trader Warburton, they have a manager who has built his life around making a profit.
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