Rangers are set to scrap their B team as technical director Nils Koppen looks for a new way to blood rising stars.
According to The Sun, Gers will axe their B team and instead focus on moving players into the first team squad, or sending them out on loan deals – with boss Philippe Clement said to be fully behind the decision. Rangers were one of the first sides to enter a second string, made up largely of players under the age of 23, in the Lowland League – but pulled out of the fifth tier after two season. At the time an Ibrox statement said that their desire for a B team was “a strong as ever.”
Since then Rangers have fielded second string sides in friendly matches and in the Glasgow Cup, which the Light Blues lifted with victory against Celtic just before Christmas, but stars have struggled to make the step up to the first team squad – with Clinton Nsiala, signed in the summer from AC Milan, one of few young players making the jump to first team action. Boss Clement had previously called for second strings to play in the Championship, saying: “I think what this country misses is that the B teams can play in the second league.
“That would help a lot. And you see countries where a lot of young players get chances and can grow, but also have a step in between. Like Belgium, like Holland, where the B teams of several clubs are playing in the second league or in the third league. People sometimes think it’s a good thing for Celtic, Rangers and Hearts and maybe some other teams, but not for the rest. But it’s not the case, because the players who don’t succeed here, they have experience in the second league. And then to go to Ross County for example. So everybody benefits out of that.”
It comes as SFA chiefs mooted plans for a radical shake-up of Scottish football’s domestic transfer market in a bid to provide a better pathway for future stars. Record Sport understands proposals have been put forward that would allow clubs to go into partnership agreements with other teams further down the pyramid to loan out their younger players. Premiership side could have one specified side in the Championship and another in both Leagues One and Two, with each allowed to take a certain number of players on-loan.
The new proposals would see a lot more flexibility and players could be recalled by their parent club and even sent back out on-loan to the initial loan club even when the transfer window is closed. The new proposals are still in the process of being finalised but would need to be voted through by the country’s senior clubs.