RUSSELL MARTIN has a style of play that can be truly special to watch.
But the new Rangers boss needs players who have the special talents to actually play it.
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The former Southampton, Swansea City and MK Dons manager was unveiled as the Ibrox club’s new head coach yesterday.
He will be the man to lead the Light Blues on the field as the new era under Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises ownership group ushers in.
Martin set out his stall in his introductory press conference, telling the media that he believes he CAN turn Gers into title challengers this year.
The 39-year-old says he’s won the fans over at every club he’s been at and if early signs are anything to go by, he has quite a work of work to do to convince a large section of the Rangers support about the merits of his brand of football.
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Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will play a key role in finding players for Martin so it’s a good thing he described him as the “perfect” fit for Rangers going forward.
Martin will have a chunk of £20million to spend but it’s no secret that the club need to sell players too.
So with that in mind, we’ve looked at some of the players the ex-Scotland and Norwich City defender could bring in – and a few who could be sold to free up some funds.
It’s also worth taking this time to dispel some myths about Martin’s style of play. It’s not just possession for possession’s sake, or aimlessly playing the ball about at the back. It’s possession with a purpose and a focus on being on the front foot, dominating the ball and breaking down low blocks (something Rangers have struggled to do for years).
Rangers fans have told Russell Martin: just win. But you’ve got to find an effective way to do so. So here’s how they could line up…
Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn
In our article highlighting some of the burning questions facing Martin this summer, top of the list is what to do about the goalkeeping situation.
Jack Butland lost the gloves last season and Liam Kelly didn’t exactly do enough to wrestle them off him for good.
Angus Gunn may be without a club but he’s back as Scotland‘s No.1 (albeit due to Craig Gordon’s injury) and Martin will know him from his own time at Norwich.
Gunn is still only 29 and given he’s available for free, Martin could use his connections to lure him to the Scottish Premiership.
On their best form it’s tough to decide who’s better out of Butland and Gunn but we haven’t seen the best of Butland in a Light Blue jersey for some time now, and Gunn could relish the change of scenery.
If Gunn was to come in, it could potentially lead to one of Butland or Kelly departing to bring in some cash.
Right-back: James Tavernier
His numbers will go down in history for all the right reasons but unfortunately for James Tavernier he needs to win trophies or his legacy as a captain will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
He’s been ever-present for Gers ever since he arrived at the club in 2015 but will that continue?
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According to Martin himself it will, with the new boss labelling the skipper as “hugely important” to his plans.
Martin likes to invert his full-backs, much in the same way as Ange Postecoglou did at Celtic.
Tavernier is known for his bursts into the box and runs down the wing more than anything else but clearly Martin thinks he can be a fit for his system.
Dujon Sterling is injured at the moment but it’s worth remembering that he has operated as a defensive midfielder for Gers so he may well be perfect for Martin further down the line.
Centre-back: Harry Darling
The 25-year-old was signed by Martin at MK Dons and once again at Swansea. Could it be three times a charm at Rangers?
Darling is a ball-playing centre-back that has openly spoken about how much he loved working under Martin and describing him as a “massive” influence on him.
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The 25-year-old is now out of contract at Swansea and the likes of Norwich and Birmingham City are understood to be interested.
But Rangers will no doubt make some calls now that Martin’s appointment has been confirmed and given his age he could either make himself a star at Ibrox for years to come or in a few years’ time net the club a nice profit.
Centre-back: John Souttar
Providing he is able to stay injury free, the appointment of Martin could be huge for Souttar.
The Scotland international is decent with the ball at his feet but is strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the biggest of strikers in the SPFL.
He and Darling could form a solid partnership at the back that would allow Martin to play a high line and hem teams inside their own half.
Clinton Nsiala looks like a potential good fit for a Martin defender but with the signing of Darling he can be allowed to develop at his own pace rather than thrust into the limelight too hastily (remember Leon King?)
Left-back: Sam Byram
It’s scary how much sense Greg Taylor would make here.
Experience in Scottish football? Tick. Experienced playing as an inverted full-back? Tick. Available for free? Tick.
It just so happens he’d be joining after six years at Celtic, which is problematic to say the least.
Left-back is a real position of need for Rangers. Ridvan Yilmaz could be heading back to Turkey while Jefte blew hot and cold last season and doesn’t look suited to the inverted full-back role (if anything, he could be more of a winger under Martin).
It would be wrong to assume that simply because both Rangers and Leeds United now both have ties to Paraag Marathe and 49ers Enterprises, that players will start flowing back and forth between the sides.
But there will certainly be scope for some cooperation and with Sam Byram a free agent, could he be steered towards Ibrox?
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Byram is 31 and would bring bags of experience to the Ibrox and despite him playing regularly as Leeds won the Championship, he has already spoken about “always being a supporter” with no contract extension on the horizon.
Ben Davies’ situation will be interesting to watch: he can play both at centre-back and left-back but after helping Birmingham to promotion last season, will they want to bring him back on a permanent deal?
Deep-lying midfield: Metinho
Rangers were linked with the man known as ‘the Brazilian Paul Pogba’ last month but they face a battle to secure his signature with Basel also interested.
He played on loan at the Swiss club last season but is contracted to French club Troyes – part of the City Group – after making his move to Europe from Fluminense at 17.
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It’s understood Troyes would want around £5m for the midfielder, who is mostly used in a deep-lying position.
He’s not strictly a holding midfielder in that he does like to get forward and help the attack but in Martin’s system he would be the most natural player to sit as a ‘six’ and allow two ‘eights’ to roam more freely ahead of him.
Rangers rarely have a need for two deep midfielders in league games but for matches in Europe or perhaps even Celtic, Metinho could sit alongside a Nicolas Raskin or Connor Barron, depending on the personnel used in the more advanced midfield roles.
Centre-midfield: Nicolas Raskin
Speaking of Raskin, if a figure north of £10m comes in for him then this potential line-up could look very different.
We’re banking on him to stay at least one more season at Rangers – but one of his midfield team mates could be tempted to the Premier League (more on that later).
Raskin was Rangers’ best player last season and he could thrive even more under Martin.
The new boss likes his midfielders to play positive passes – something Raskin is known for – and Martin will task the Belgian to provide even more of a goal threat.
Expect Lyall Cameron to push for a starting place however, especially against teams who sit off Rangers.
Centre-midfield: Joe Rothwell
Mohamed Diomande is another who likes to play positive passes but in this scenario, we think if Rangers hold onto Raskin then they may well cash in on the interest Everton have in Diomande.
Joe Rothwell has been linked with Rangers as far back as 2022 and now that the man who signed him for Southampton is in place at Ibrox, could he finally move to the Light Blues?
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The 30-year-old was signed by Martin at Saints in 2023 on loan from Bournemouth and he helped them achieve promotion to the Premier League.
He was loaned out again this season, this time to Leeds, and once again proved his worth by being part of a promotion-winning side.
Rothwell excels as a box-to-box midfielder, bringing energy and power to the engine room. He would be the perfect foil for the more creative Raskin.
The Englishman has a year left on his Bournemouth contract and it seems boss Andoni Iraola isn’t his biggest fan.
Feasibly he could join Rangers on loan for a year with a view to a permanent deal in 2026, unless Bournemouth ask for some cash now.
The Manchester United trainee could end up being the player Rangers thought they were getting when they signed Aaron Ramsey in 2022…
Right-wing: Oscar Cortes
If left-back is a position of need for Gers, then the wings are positions of desperation.
Vaclav Cerny is gone. Even Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence, who had less of an influence, add to the gaping hole.
Ross McCausland, for all his endeavour, doesn’t look like he has kicked on to become more than a squad player.
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Rabbi Matondo has had his chances and all he’s proved is that he can dazzle in one game and disappoint for the next three.
Nedim Bajrami? Well, there’s a reason Kris Boyd called him the worst signing of the 2024/25 season.
Oscar Cortes has barely kicked a ball for Rangers but the Ibrox outfit are still forking out £4.5m to bring him to the club permanently from Lens.
He impressed on a (very) brief sub appearance against Hibs on the last day of the season but the Colombian will have to put his injuries behind him and give the fans – and his manager – more than just a glimpse of his quality.
Left-wing: Ryan Fraser
Here’s a talker…
Ryan Fraser’s age and links to Aberdeen could put a few off of this one but Martin signed him on loan during his first season as Southampton boss and then made the pitch to sign him permanently the following season.
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Fraser is 34 and has a year left on his contract at St Mary’s and played just two minutes of football after Martin was sacked there, due to a combination of injury and generally falling out of favour.
That could open the door for Martin to approach him with a view to coming back to his homeland and playing every week – once fully fit.
Striker: Dor Turgeman
The Israeli striker has only just emerged as a summer transfer target for the Light Blues but there’s every chance he could become the first official signing of the Martin era.
Hamza Igamane will have a huge part to play in any Rangers team next year, even if the Ibrox side do sign Turgeman.
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But what Turgeman will do is give Rangers two young and exciting options up top.
Turgeman, 21, returned 20 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions last year, providing a further six assists.
He is an Israel international too, with seven caps and one goal to his name.
Cyriel Dessers was the club’s top scorer last season but remains somewhat of an enigma and split’s the support.
He works hard and at times his link-up play is exceptional but he is prone to missing the odd sitter.
Dessers also has some transfer interest too so Thelwell & co may see fit to claw some money back for him.
That could also be the case for £6m forgotten man Danilo.
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Other potential signings
A wildcard to watch is Premier League cult hero Jamie Vardy.
The Leicester City icon is leaving the King Power Stadium after 13 glorious years and will have no shortage of suitors despite turning 39 next January.
Vardy scored nine goals in the Prem last season, finishing as the Foxes’ top scorer. He clearly still knows where the goal is.
Some bookies have listed Rangers as the FAVOURITE to sign him for the upcoming season, though there will likely be interest in England, the MLS and perhaps Saudi Arabia.
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Sticking with strikers, would Martin consider another move for Ross Stewart? He looked on the way to being Scotland’s next number nine when Martin sanctioned a £9m move to Saints but he’s struggled with injuries since. Could he and Rangers mutually agree on a pathway to rejuvenate his career?
Largie Ramazani is a name that’s been mentioned who could exploit the new connection between Leeds and Rangers. We know Rangers need wingers, so it’s a name that makes sense even if only on loan.
Martin’s Southampton beat Rangers to Samuel Edozie last year. Could he be the next winger to join Gers on loan instead?
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Josh Mulligan could follow Dundee pal Lyall Cameron to Ibrox and in similar fashion. He’s out of contract at Dens Park and his positional versatility has reportedly appealed to Rangers, given that he can operate as a wide or central midfielder, and as a right-back.
Other potential departures
Robin Propper, Jose Cifuentes, Kieran Dowell.
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