Russell Martin knows exactly how much of £20million Rangers owners investment he needs to catch Celtic
The former Southampton boss is leading the charge to be named the next man in the Ibrox hot seat
Former Rangers ' director of football Gordon Smith reckons that the next manager will need a the full £20million investment from the new owners for transfers.
That's if the club are to catch Celtic. Rangers look set to appoint for former Southampton boss Russell Martin as Philippe Clement's permanent successor following the takeover by US tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
A £20million investment has been promised by the consortium and Smith reckons that must be spent on recruits after a trophyless campaign which saw the Light Blues finish 17 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
And Smith has told the new men in charge that they will have to dig deep if they hope to close the gap on Brendan Rodgers' champions.
Speaking to the Sunday Post, he told the new men at the helm in Govan: "Picking the right candidate to be manager is going to be crucial.
"Every appointment is a challenge, in my opinion, because you are never completely sure how they are going to do.
"There have been examples of people with a great track record coming in and struggling, likewise of people who are new to it doing really well.
"They need to choose the right person and give them the backing they need to succeed. That is what the fans will be looking for.
"In Scotland it is a two-horse race for the title. They need money to be able to compete because, from the fans' point of view, second is last.
"Twenty million is the figure that has been talked about and, while that is not a huge amount in today's market, it is all about how you use it.
"For Rangers and Celtic there are two ways to make significant amounts of extra revenue.
"The first is by qualifying for the Champions League, the second is by developing players and transferring them on for higher fees.
"Pick the right ones and you have the potential to make that kind of money in one deal.
"Pick the right ones and you can get Rangers back to competing at the level they want to be at.
"Celtic will be looking at this thinking we are going to have more of a domestic challenge. But, as much as they have been doing very well, things can change quickly in football. We saw that in 2020-21.
"So, they might be looking at their structure too because they know, if Rangers begin to compete, things will get tougher for them because, as I say, second is last at the Old Firm.
"Extra competition between the two clubs would also benefit the Scottish game on the whole."
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