Why a £5m transfer would solve Rangers' wing problems

Glasgow Rangers manager Derek McInnes has clearly identified the defense as one of the team's weak points, making several additions to strengthen the squad in that area already.

The Scotland boss has signed Ben Godfrey and Ross McCrorie in a back four, Ivor Pandur in goal, and Cammy Devlin and Dan Neil as defensive midfielders.

Lawrence Shankland, who signed before McInnes took over from Danny Rohl, is the only attacking player the Light Blues have brought in so far.

One of the goals between now and the end of the Scottish Premier League summer transfer window should be to sign some players to strengthen the management squad.

Why Rangers need to sign more wingers

The Gers should be in the market to add more quality to their selection on the wing for a number of reasons, including the fact that Mike Moore and Andreas Skov Olsen returned to their parent clubs at the end of last season.

With Findlay Curtis returning from Kilmarnock, Rangers are one winger down from the 2025/26 campaign and need to ensure McInnes has the depth he needs to compete in all areas.

On top of that, the options the Light Blues had last season did not provide consistent quality in the final third, as none of their players scored more than six goals in the league.

Rangers need more goals from their wide players if they are to win the Premiership title for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign, having put Ryan Kent in relentlessly at the end of the pitch when they last lifted the trophy.

The England midfielder has scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 37 games for the Scottish Premiership, four more than Moore scored last term and seven more than Djeidi Gassama.

That is why McInnes must push the club to enter the market to sign other players who can go and win for themselves at the Gers.

Rangers new signing Ryan Kent could solve their club player woes

Now, the club are said to be pursuing a player who has the potential to fill that void in the squad and become their next version of Kent at Ibrox.

Reporter Mark Hendry reports, on his Substack page, that Rangers are interested in a deal to sign Leicester City striker Stephy Mavididi in the summer transfer window.

The reporter says that the Light Blues have been in contact with the League One team that was relegated from the Championship last season and are negotiating for the English player.

Hendry adds, however, that the Foxes want around £7m for the 28-year-old star, and it remains to be seen whether the Gers are prepared to splash that kind of money on him.

If the board can reach an agreement with Leicester for Mavididi, the England midfielder could join McInnes' Kent side in the Premiership next season.

The left-sided striker hasn't enjoyed a great season over the last few seasons, scoring ten goals in 78 games, but he was in a relegation-ravaged Leicester side, which made it difficult to stand out as a striker.

The last time he was in a team that played on the front foot and dominated games, he showed his quality on the left side in the 2023/24 championship season under Enzo Maresca.

The former Arsenal and Juventus player scored 12 goals at 9.09 xG and produced 8.61 xA and six assists in 46 appearances in the Championship, while completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

His return of 23 goals and 'big chances' combined was far better than the 19 goals and 'big chances' combined that Kent produced for Rangers in the Premiership last time they won the title.

Like Kent, Mavididi is a right-footed midfielder who likes to pin down opponents and cut in to score goals on a regular basis, as evidenced by his form when he was last in a strong team.

While his goalscoring numbers over the past two seasons are not surprising on paper, Leicester's struggles as a team are worth noting, and Rangers should look to his form in a positive light instead.

That is why McInnes should push the club to pay the £7m required to bring the winger to Ibrox in the coming weeks, as he has the potential to be a great addition to the squad.