Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers finished 39 points behind Celtic last time around.
Steven Naismith has told BBC Scotland that former club Rangers need to buck up their ideas and be more competitive with Celtic and Aberdeen.
The Gers finished third on their return to the Scottish Premiership last season, nine points behind the Dons and a whopping 39 behind champions Celtic.
Manager Mark Warburton was sacked in February and replaced by Pedro Caixinha.
So far the Portuguese has added Bruno Alves and Ryan Jack to his ranks in what promises to be a busy summer for Rangers on the transfer front.
And ex-Rangers man Naismith admits it’s a “huge summer” for his old club as they try to bridge the ‘unacceptable’ gap between them and Celtic.
“For Rangers to be that far behind Aberdeen and Celtic isn’t acceptable,” he told BBC Scotland.
“As a club, this is a massive summer for them to get to the stage where they are competing again.
“To be back in Europe again is massive for them and for everyone in Scottish football. They need Rangers to be challenging.”
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