Steven Gerrard says Rangers have made "really good, strong progress" on signing a midfielder; Rangers have signed Fashion Sakala, John Lundstram and Nnamdi Ofoborh so far in the transfer window but Ofoborh is unavailable due to a heart issue
Wednesday 18 August 2021 15:18, UK
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says the club has made strong progress in signing a midfielder as he looks to strengthen the position before the end of the transfer window.
Gerrard's 2020/21 Scottish Premiership-winning squad has mostly stayed intact over the summer, with Bongani Zungu, Jordan Jones and George Edmundson the only notable departures from the senior squad.
It has been a very quiet window in terms of arrivals, with only Fashion Sakala, John Lundstram and Nnamdi Ofoborh joining the Ibrox side on free transfers.
While Sakala and Lundstram have been immediately involved, midfielder Ofoborh's career was put on hold after scans revealed a heart issue for the 21-year-old in July.
Asked if he was frustrated about the lack of business so far in the transfer window, Gerrard said: "No, not at all.
"We've identified targets that we are looking at, to try and bring in. There's a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make that happen.
"We've had some progress behind the scenes and when there's something to announce, we will give you that information.
"But we are delighted to get John in, and Fashion, and hopefully we can do a little bit more business before the window shuts."
Rangers were forced to rotate in central midfield in the Champions League double-header against Malmo - which they lost 4-2 on aggregate - with Glen Kamara serving a suspension, while Ryan Jack has been a long-term injury absentee.
Lundstram, Joe Aribo, Scott Arfield and 36-year-old Steven Davis have featured regularly so far this season, but Gerrard confirmed he may have a new face in the squad shortly.
He said: "The progress [of a new signing] is really good. It's strong.
"I'm hoping to have some news in the coming days but until it's done and dusted, it's very hard to give you an exact time and date.
"I'm hoping for more positive news in the coming hours, maybe some time tomorrow (Thursday). Maybe we might have something to say around tomorrow's game but we will just have to wait and see.
"But I don't want to get too carried away or ahead of myself as well."
Rangers face Alashkert in the first leg of their Europa League play-off on Thursday before heading to Armenia for the second leg next Thursday. They follow that game by hosting Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday August 29, live on Sky Sports.
The Scottish transfer window closes on August 31.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard discusses the need to deal with the pressure at the club as his team tries to retain their title.
