Rangers chiefs set blueprint for next season

[pete 2,499]

RANGERS have drawn up their battle plans for next season - with as many as 10 players set to go from the squad that has just won the Double.

 

Chairman Sir David Murray, manager Walter Smith and chief executive Martin Bain met yesterday at Murray's Perthshire home to work on a strategy in terms of squad restructuring.

 

The Ibrox club's on-going financial problems - debts are now believed to be in excess of �£25million - have been eased slightly by automatic entry into the Champions League group stage next season which brings a guaranteed income of around �£10m.

 

However, the trio are well aware that a raft of fringe players have to be removed from the wage bill. Rangers will look to operate with around 21 or 22 senior players and augment that squad with half a dozen youngsters.

advertisement

 

Smith has been given assurances that backing will be there for him if deadwood can be removed. But there will be no repeat of the last two summers when he was given a healthy budget for new players.

 

Smith's funds to bring in new faces will have to be raised from sales.

 

So far, Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly have gone but sources say another eight will have to follow.

 

There had been claims the manager would consider his position had Murray not be able to put a blueprint in place that he was happy with.

 

But the three Rangers powerbrokers are clear on what they have to do - and Bain will now be charged with the task of trying to move players on.

 

It was agreed yesterday that David Weir will be offered a one-year contract to stay on as skipper. Even at 39, he remains a key figure for next term.

 

Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor are likely to be the two highest profile departures. Rangers believe they could rake in around �£5m in fees for the duo and also free-up �£45,000 a week in wages.

 

Kris Boyd's future is also still up for debate as he goes into the final year of his contract.

 

But the prospect of Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish making a renewed bid for Boyd receded last night when he broke the Midlands club's transfer record to sign the Ecuadorian internationalist, Christian Benitez, from Mexican club Santas Laguna.

 

Players such as Charlie Adam, Alan Gow, Stevie Smith, Graeme Smith, DaMarcus Beasley and Andrius Velicka will all be up for grabs.

 

Most will probably be paid off at 23.30 on August 31.

[UCF2008 0]

Most will probably be paid off at 23.30 on August 31.

 

...Only to be picked up 5 mins later by clubs who could easily have afforded them

[Gribz 846]

Glad to hear the sentence getting rid of dead wood. But knowing Bain he wont know who that is.

 

If Ferguson and McGregor depart that free's up 45k a week, add that to the 17k that Hemdani was getting then that must leave room for an addition or 2. Ideally if we could find a good Bosman signing then we dont have to pay transfer fee's.

Then the selling fee's for the likes of Ferguson, McGregor, Boyd and McCulloch will balance the books.

 

Winning the title and entry to the CL must feel like a mountain of weight off Murrays back.