Rangers boss Mark Warburton will not be afraid to suggest a £1million signing in January, despite the club’s ongoing cash shortage.
Rangers last week admitted they would need up to £2.5million of shareholder loans to see out the season, but Warburton brought in 11 players during the summer, three on loan, and he is looking for one or two in the winter transfer window.
Warburton said: “Every player we have gone for so far we have secured and we are working closely with the board and the owner. Communication is first class.
“We’re in good shape and I’m sure we will get the players we are looking for.
“We will put forward players we think can add value. You can buy a player for £1million pounds and it quickly becomes five. You can buy a player at £850,000 and two years later it’s £550,000.
“It’s about trusting your judgement and getting the right value for the club. If it’s near seven figures and we think it represents good value, we will put it to the board. Absolutely.”
Warburton is working closely on the shopping list with Frank McParland, the club’s new head of recruitment.
McParland was tempted away from Burnley in October after just four months at Turf Moor to resume his working relationship with Warburton and assistant David Weir, who were all at Brentford together.
“I’ve known Mark 10 years or something,” said McParland, who recruited Raheem Sterling for Liverpool. “I was involved in the NextGen tournament that he ran.
“When I worked at the Liverpool academy he was academy director at Watford and we had a tournament and I invited Mark up.
“They played a Hungarian team on the first-team pitch and I went into the dressing room and I said: ’Warbs, that is the best performance I’ve ever seen on that pitch’. And it was.
“He still plays football the same. I watched the game on Saturday and some of the chances they created and the football he wants to play, I love it.
“I think he’s been a visionary in what he has wanted to do and David is pretty much on the same wavelength. I help with that as well.”
The scale of McParland’s task in improving the recruitment department was immediately evident.
“We are probably a little behind on the scouting network because we haven’t got one,” he said.
“For this window I am just going to concentrate on bringing in one or two players in and then look at the scouting network. There’s a lot of work to be done.
“If you’ve got £1million, which some clubs down south spend on their scouting networks, it’s easier. You get better people, better coverage and watch more players.
“Ours isn’t going to be £1million a year, but we will bring in the best people we can and I’m not that bothered about a massive scouting network. I’m about having good people. If we can get in two or three good people that we trust, I’d be happy with that.
“I’ve got pretty much a blank page at the minute. There’s me at the minute and that’s all there is. As long I can get better people in, and I’d sooner grow it slowly rather than bring loads of people in and lose the quality.
“I’ve still got the manager who helps with the scouting, Davie Weir helps with the scouting and the analysts are going to be more and more involved. I think we’re all right but we need to improve and bring more people in.”