No reining in Rangers’ transfer market ambitions on Premiership return
Published:
Rangers are reeling off the signings this summer as manager Mark Warburton prepares to meet the demands of the Ladbrokes Premiership in 2016/17.
As June nears its conclusion, the arrival of Northern Ireland full-back Lee Hodson fresh from the Euros takes Warburton’s recruitment drive to eight players and counting with thoughts turning to pre-season.
Hodson, who signs from English League One side MK Dons, joins Joey Barton, Niko Kranjcar, Matt Crooks, Josh Windass, Jordan Rossiter, Clint Hill and Matt Gilks as fresh Ibrox faces in 2016.
The versatile right-back, who can also operate on the left of defence, played on loan at Premiership side Kilmarnock last season but was well known to Warburton before the Englishman ventured north to Glasgow.
Hodson was recruited to the Watford academy by Warburton as a 13-year-old and joined his Brentford side on loan in 2012/13, making 18 appearances at Griffin Park.
While the 24-year-old will be in direct competition with James Tavernier and Lee Wallace for the full-back berths at Ibrox, the 16-capped international adds yet more quality options to the Gers squad.
Former QPR teammates Barton, Hill and Kranjcar are the headline makers to date, bringing a wealth of experience from the English top-flight with them to the blue half of Glasgow.
Such additions only add to the feverish anticipation the new Ladbrokes Premiership season is generating, and not only because the Old Firm are due to renew their rivalry in the top-flight for the first time in four years.
Last term’s Premiership runners-up Aberdeen, and third-placed Hearts, have also been busy in the transfer market as those respective giants plot their own ways to hunt Celtic down in 2016/17.
Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops, themselves boosted by the signing of exciting 19-year-old forward Moussa Dembele from Fulham, are still installed as clear 1/4 favourites for a sixth successive title by sponsors Ladbrokes, with Rangers next in the betting at 3/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
