The makeshift Rangers defence that stood so strong against Celtic crumbled in their collapse at Hibs, with the need for more permanent solutions in defence now clear to see.
Injuries to John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, as well as right back James Tavernier, have left Philippe Clement extremely short at the back. Ridvan Yilmaz has been shunted across to right back, with Dujon Sterling required centrally alongside Robin Propper before the versatile defender also picked up a knock in the capital. And shipping three goals at Easter Road from a commanding position served as a warning that the adrenaline of an Old Firm battle won’t be there every week to help paper over the defensive cracks.
As for the January plan, Clement deferred to new CEO Patrick Stewart, and isn’t sure who he’ll have available to fill in against Dundee on Thursday. “That’s something that Patrick will address towards you guys,” he said. “He wants to give that explanation what is the plan for January. Every manager feels that [they need more], and for sure in the situation we are. For the moment with injuries and everything, but there’s also the situation of the club. You need to pay it also, and I’m not the one who can pay that. I don’t have that money.
“Dujon got a kick on his foot. He had to come off because of that. So we will see how serious the injury is. I don’t know if Leon will be back, and for sure not others. So we will focus on that the next couple of days. John will be still several weeks. He will not be back in a short time.”
Record Sport looks at who Gers could target to help ease their backline woes.
Ryan Porteous
Okay, so there’s some history here. The former Hibs star ruffled plenty of Rangers feathers during his time in the Premiership, be it his long-running on-field feud with Alfredo Morelos, some ‘robust’ challenges that Gers fans took none too kindly to or his Hampden trolling of Steven Gerrard after dumping the Light Blues out of the League Cup then asking if the Hibees “look happy?”
But now it seems the Scotland international is out of favour at Watford, with reports on the continent claiming he isn’t happy with the Vicarage Road management. That could pave the way for a January switch and a centre back of his age with international experience that knows the Scottish game would tick a lot of boxes for Rangers – IF they can forgive and forget.
Jonny Evans
Record Sport revealed that the Man Utd and Northern Ireland veteran’s name had been put to Philippe Clement by a member of the Ibrox board. On paper, boyhood Gers fan Evans makes sense as a stop gap signing, even at the ripe old age of 37. He is still operating at a high level and has as much as experience as you could ever ask for.
However, Clement is understood to be keener on a younger option, especially with Leon Balogun already occupying the elder statesman role at the back (when fit). Rangers have also been here before with centre backs from England approaching the end of their playing days with Gareth McAuley and Clint Hill, with neither of them being roaring successes.
Filip Benkovic
Another with a past that would require more than a few blind eyes to be turned. Benkovic was part of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic 1.0 that dominated their rivals. Tipped for bigger things, it didn’t happen for the croat after he returned to Leicester City after his loan spell ended and he bounced around the English Championship and Belgium before joining Udinese.
However, a fruitless couple of years in Italy was just more of the same with loans top Eintracht Braunschweig and Trabzonspor coming to nothing. Still a free agent, Benkovic was most recently linked with Standard Liege although the Belgians are reportedly now looking at other targets. Still only 27, the centre back has his best years ahead of him in theory, although a lack of football would count against him, as will his previous employers, whether it should be relevant or not.
Grant Hanley
Hanley is as no-nonsense as a modern centre back is likely to get and if it;s a leader Clement wants, the Scotland international fits the bill. A resurrection at international level saw him re-established as a regular starter in dark blue under Steve Clarke after looking like his days representing his country were behind him.
A boyhood Rangers fan and out of contract at Norwich City in the summer, a deal is there to be done. Former club Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United have been linked and a potential return to the English Premier League would be extremely hard to compete with, while wages could be on the high side.
Canaries boss Johannes Hoff Thorrup hasn’t exactly warned potential suitors off either. He said: “From a selfish perspective, I want to keep him because he’s a leader and he’s a captain, and he’s a very experienced guy. He’s training well and he’s good around the young boys,” he told the Pink Un of Hanley.
“But I can understand if he comes to me and says, ‘I want to play first team football on a regular basis’. Then, of course, we need to sit down and look at the situation.
“It also [depends] what kind of offers will he get in January, because I think we have to be as honest with him as possible and also realistic. From a selfish perspective I would like him in the group, but I can definitely understand if something comes up that you want to look at it.”
Nikola Katic
They say never go back, but there’s a sense Niko Katic has unfinished business at Ibrox. The now Bosnian international looked like a future star after Steven Gerrard landed him in 2018 and the defender helped Gers to a first Scottish Premiership title in a decade. But over a year out with a serious knee injury robbed him of plenty of Ibrox game time and he was loaned to Hajdyk Split before joiing FC Zurich in 2022.
He’s still there, but could be looking for a moce. Former Rangers defender and agent Craig Moore has admitted that Katic’s name has recently “come across” his desk and Oz reckons he’s the type his former club should be going for. The 28-year-old has 18 months left on his deal in Switzerland so a deal shouldn’t be too difficult if there’s a will to do one. Fitness concerns would understandably linger, however.