“Andy Halliday DEMANDS Rangers Snag Hearts’ Defensive SUPERSTAR Who BLOWS Current Squad Out of the Water!”
Rangers Left-Back Position Under the Spotlight Amid Another Disappointing Domestic Campaign
Chelsea are monitoring Brazilian youngster Jefte, but the 20-year-old has already exceeded expectations in terms of appearances for Rangers this season.
Meanwhile, Ridvan Yilmaz has spent most of the campaign sidelined through injury, continuing his frustrating spell at the club.
In light of their left-back struggles, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday has suggested the club pursue Hearts defender James Penrice, who he believes is a better option than both Jefte and Yilmaz.
However, Halliday cautioned that signing Penrice alone won’t be enough for Rangers to close the gap on rivals Celtic.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Halliday, who himself has experience playing left-back, admitted he “would take” Penrice at Ibrox, rating him above the current options.
Rangers are already moving in the market, having secured Lyall Cameron from Dundee and showing interest in his teammate Josh Mulligan.
Despite Dundee’s intention to retain Mulligan, Rangers’ transfer plans are clearly in motion.
The discussion then turned to whether Penrice could be a long-term solution at left-back.
Halliday was clear in his support for the Hearts man but emphasized the need for further strengthening.
“I still think they should sign somebody else,” he said. “I think he is better than the left-backs they’ve got.”
However, Halliday pointed out that Penrice may not be of the calibre required to challenge Celtic.
With Greg Taylor’s contract set to expire at Celtic Park, Rangers have been linked with the Scottish international.
Halliday noted that even Taylor, who could become a backup at Celtic, is ahead of Penrice in quality.
He underlined the difficulty Rangers face in bridging the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership, especially if they rely on players unfamiliar with the league.
“If you want to catch Celtic, you need to buy players that are better than Celtic’s players,” he said. “I don’t think Penrice gets in above Greg Taylor.”
Looking ahead, Halliday acknowledged that Rangers are in for a transformative summer, but warned that significant work is needed if they are to mount a serious challenge to Celtic’s dominance.
