Rangers signing blitz: Two deals all but done, three more in the pipeline - report
By Richard Parks
Rangers are close to signing Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield and Hull City goalkeeper Allan McGregor before the window even opens, according to a report.
The Scottish Daily Mail claim that the Glasgow giants are working on deals to land Arfield, 29, and McGregor, 36, on free transfers.
It is said that former Scotland international McGregor is "edging towards a stunning return" to Ibrox six years after quitting the club, while Canada international Arfield is close to penning a pre-contract agreement.
Both players are out of contract at their current clubs at the end of June and Rangers are keen to win the race for their signatures.
The Scottish Daily Mail report that Rangers have three other signings in the pipeline, as they are interested in Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur, another who is a Scotland international, and are keen to recruit two new centre-backs.
Football Insider verdict:
Landing one new player before the end of April would be pretty nifty work by recruitment chief Mark Allen, but securing two would be a serious statement of intent. Not enough to have Celtic running for cover, certainly, but McGregor and Arfield are both proven performers who have delivered in the Premier League and also know the Scottish game inside out. This appears to be key criteria for Allen ahead of the window as he rights the wrongs of years of wretched recruitment spearheaded by Mark Warburton, Frank McPartland and Pedro Caixinha. The director of football secured some smart deals in January and appears to know how to operate a shoestring budget. Rangers need far more than five cheap signings to challenge Celtic, but at least they are making a reasonable start.