RANGERS will aim to recruit from the pick of the Premiership come January.
Light Blues caretaker boss Graeme Murty has gone on record to state that director of football, Mark Allen, will be the man charged with identifying transfer targets.
And it is understood he is keen to bring in young players, who have already made their mark in Scotland’s top flight, but still have further development in them and the potential for re-sale.
Top of the Light Blues’ list is Dundee’s Jack Hendry.
The 22-year-old’s commanding displays in central defence have also attracted the attentions of champions, Celtic, as well as English Premier League trio Southampton, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.
Right up there, too, with the young Scot is Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones.
The 23-year-old has been capped for Northern Ireland, and has impressed under new Rugby Park boss, Steve Clarke.
Burnley and Norwich City have both been tracking his progress this season.
Also being considered by Rangers for immediate moves are two players they have long planned to fix up on pre-contract moves in the winter break – Kenny McLean of Aberdeen and Hearts forward, Jamie Walker.
Both reach the end of their contracts with their respective clubs in the summer, and have both declined offers of extensions, preferring to run their deals down.
The situation with 25-year-old McLean is a delicate one, with Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne having gone on record recently to voice complaints about aspects of Rangers’ failed attempt to sign his manager, Derek McInnes.
The Dons are also still smarting from the loss of their former captain, Ryan Jack, to the Ibrox club under freedom of movement back in June.
McInnes and Milne would then have to weigh up whether there was a benefit to keeping on a player they were set to lose soon anyway in return for a small fee.
There is history, too, in the case of Walker.
He looked all set to join Rangers in the summer, but Hearts rejected two offers for him which fell below their £1m valuation of the player.
Tynecastle manager Craig Levein initially felt the collapse of the move affected his player.
But he has recently praised him for knuckling down and making a major contribution to the team.
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