The English transfer window officially slammed shut on Monday night, but Glasgow Rangers still have until Thursday evening to get their business done.
Kevin Kelsy underwent a medical at the start of this week and is set to be unveiled as the club’s latest signing in a deal worth up to £9m from Portland Timbers.
Light Blues supporters hoping for further business in the next couple of days may be left feeling frustrated, though, as the manager has suggested that the Gers do not have plans to dip back into the market.
Derek McInnes has revealed that the striker is due to be the last signing of the window, telling Sky Sports News: “we believe it’s only going to be the one in.”
Why Rangers need to break Derek McInnes’ word
The 49ers need to go against what the manager said on Tuesday afternoon by swooping to add another winger to the squad after the deal for Kelsy goes through.
|
Rangers wide options |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Preferred foot |
|
Djeidi Gassama |
Right |
|
Findlay Curtis |
Right |
|
Min-su Kim |
Right |
|
Ross McCausland |
Right |
|
Thelo Aasgaard |
Right |
|
Daisuke Yokota |
Left |
As it stands, Daisuke Yokota is the only left-footed winger in the squad and Kelsy is set to become only the third left-footed player outside of the defence, along with Bojan Miovski, whose future at Ibrox is uncertain.
The Light Blues dropped Yokota to the bench against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership to play Findlay Curtis on the right last weekend, and the Scottish winger struggled to have to come inside onto his weaker left foot.
The lack of balance in the attack when Yokota is not on the pitch is a concern because of the lack of natural alternatives to him for McInnes to select in the final third.
That is why the board need to go and do another deal before the end of the window to add a left-footed right winger to the group to ensure that the Gers do not struggle with a lack of balance too often this season.
The Scottish giants have been linked with plenty of left-footed attackers throughout the window, and it is now time to get one of them over the line to break McInnes’ word.
It was recently reported that Glasgow Rangers have been in talks with Besiktas over a deal to sign Vaclav Cerny on a permanent basis before the deadline.
The Turkish giants are said to be holding out for a fee of £8.5m for the Czechia international, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Ibrox from Wolfsburg.
It was even claimed that the Scottish side could agree a fee for as low as £6.8m, if they could negotiate a lower overall package with Besiktas, but McInnes’ latest comments suggest that no progress was made in those talks.
Given the dire need for a left-footed right winger, though, the 49ers should reignite this pursuit and submit an offer worth between £6.8m and £8.5m to convince the Super Lig outfit to part ways with him.
Not only would Cerny add another left-footed option to the Gers attack this season, but the 28-year-old whiz would also represent an upgrade on Yokota in the final third.
|
25/26 season |
Yokota (2.BL) |
Cerny (SL) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
30 |
|
Goals |
5 |
5 |
|
Conversion rate |
12% |
8% |
|
Key passes per game |
0.9 |
2.1 |
|
xA |
4.41 |
4.21 |
|
Assists |
4 |
8 |
In the 2025/26 campaign, the Czechia international created more than twice as many chances per game and provided twice as many assists as Yokota did in the 2. Bundesliga for Hannover before his move to Ibrox.
On top of that, Cerny also racked up 12 goals and four assists in 33 appearances in the Premiership for the Light Blues in the 2024/25 season on loan in Glasgow.
Yokota, meanwhile, has never scored more than seven goals in a single season in his career and is yet to score in seven appearances for Rangers since his summer switch.
Cerny, therefore, would arrive at the club as a much-needed goal threat on the right side of the attack, as a player who has already proven that he can deliver in the Premiership on a regular basis.
That is why the 49ers must break McInnes’ word and bring in a second signing after Kelsy to bolster the attack with an upgrade on the right wing, whilst also adding another left-footed option to the frontline.