Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has a lot of work to do this summer if he wants his team to challenge for domestic glory next season.
The Ibrox side have finished trophyless for the first time since 2020, and at a club which demands success every single year, the upcoming summer transfer window will be one of the most important in recent memory.
It’s fair to say that some of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s signings haven’t exactly worked out, with defender Ben Davies being particularly underwhelming since his move from Liverpool in 2022.
The Englishman looked extremely out of his depth during the Champions League group stage, averaging a Sofascore rating of just 6.23/10 across his three games (the fifth-lowest in the side) as well as losing possession 10.3 times per match, and although he enjoyed a steady run in the side under Beale, he has still made the odd mistake.
Against Celtic last month, his failed clearance led to Kyogo Furuhashi scoring his second of the afternoon and capped a miserable performance from the £27k-per-week dud. Former Ibrox defender Kirk Broadfoot even described him as being “poor” and that he sometimes gets “bullied” – so Beale may look to sign another centre-back this summer.
Could Rangers sign Auston Trusty from Arsenal?
American defender Auston Trusty has been linked with a move to the Ibrox side recently, with a fee of around £2m being mooted in order for him to move north of the border.
The fee shouldn’t be a problem, with Beale potentially moving a few players on in order to generate funds for signings – and Trusty could be a solid addition, especially after enjoying a decent campaign at Birmingham City.
He even won the fans' Player of the Year award for his impressive performances, and across 44 English Championship appearances, he averaged a Sofascore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the third-best performer in the squad.
The 24-year-old can provide an attacking threat from the back, having scored four goals and grabbed two assists, while also creating three big chances, so this could be an added benefit to Beale.
This doesn’t mean he shirks his defensive responsibilities, however, as he made 2.3 tackles and 4 clearances per game along with winning 6.2 total duels each match – at a success rate of 57% – clearly demonstrating his physicality, which could stand him in good stead if he were to make the switch to Scottish football.
His fellow teammate at Birmingham, George Friend, described Trusty as “incredible” back in October, and for the aforementioned fee of £2m, Beale can lure him to Scotland while having the licence to ditch Davies in the process.