Nils Koppen has confirmed that plans to improve the Rangers squad in the January are well underway – but also adds that more departures at Ibrox are likely.
The Dutchman was appointed as the Gers Director of Football back in January 2024 having previously worked as Head of Scouting for Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven. Since his arrival, he has overseen something of an overhaul alongside Light Blues boss Philippe Clement in Govan, with Rangers spending over £10million on nine new signings last summer while experienced players such as John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack were allowed to leave on free transfer.
Despite the influx of new faces, Clement’s men have had a tricky start to the season, and currently trail rivals Celtic at the top of the Premiership by five points after the first seven games. Rangers have also dropped into the Europa League after falling short in qualifying for the Champions League – costing them a huge windfall of up to £16million.
Throughout the summer window, Clement stressed the lack of financial power currently available to the club, and admitted that players would have to be sold before they could spend any further. But Koppen has now revealed that after holding a key meeting, the Gers are now working very hard on the transfer front to ensure they are ready for whatever happens in the January window.
Speaking to RTV, he said: “Last week we had a meeting with the manager and board members to determine the strategy. I think we have identified the positions that we are weak in, understaffed or need more quality. We know that and it is now about talking about the budgets we can spend in the market and preparing for that window.
“On the other side, there is also the possibility that players leave the club, so we always have to be ready to replace them where necessary. The first steps have been made and the recruitment team is now active in identifying these positions.”
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