Given the sub-standard nature of Rangers’ transfer dealings last summer, there was always bound to be plenty of work to do once the window reopened in January.
The Ibrox club spent close to £30million on new players, with Kevin Thelwell and Russell Martin the architects of a squad whose quality does not match the money invested.
Those two have long departed the crime scene, with the rebuild now well under way as the club closes in on the signings of Tochi Chukwuani and Tuur Rommens for a combined outlay of £7million.
As and when they are concluded, it is highly unlikely that those two deals will be Rangers’ last foray into the market, with the club understood to be eyeing as many as four more potential new signings.
This is where the parameters have changed. Danny Rohl always knew that he would be tasked with a clean-up operation given the mess he inherited.
But given the way in which he has propelled Rangers up the table and into a title race, this is no longer simply about trying to repair some of the damage from the previous regime.
Rohl has been eagerly anticipating the chance to freshen up his squad in the transfer window
Fernandez opens the scoring for Rangers against Aberdeen in their midweek encounter
Sturm Graz playmaker Tochi Chukwuani featured against both sides of the Old Firm this season
Rohl and Rangers are tooling up for a title battle. They now sit second in the league, three points behind leaders Hearts and three ahead of Celtic having played a game more.
It is a far cry from what Rohl inherited when he took charge back on October 20, at which point Rangers trailed Hearts by 13 points and Celtic by eight.
Rohl, who believes his side have emerged as somewhat of a surprise package in the title race, has urged everyone at Ibrox to seize the moment and kick on over the second half of the season.
‘I think we said this before, that we are really looking for the window,’ said the German, whose side face Aberdeen at Pittodrie tomorrow.
‘So far, we have taken a lot of points without new signings. This is also important because I see how much our players are growing, how much self-confidence they have, how many things they’re doing right.
‘But you have to be hungry and you have to be ambitious also in the market. This is a fantastic way at the moment.
‘I think on top, Andrew [Cavenagh, chairman], he’s really convinced. I have great people around me. They help me in the daily business to prepare these things. I’m very positive that we can do good things in this window.’
The 3-1 win at Celtic Park last weekend, followed by a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday night, underlined Rangers’ credentials as serious contenders.
Left-back Tuur Rommens could help fill what has been a problem position for the Ibrox club
Rohl admits the pressure is always on to deliver at Rangers, especially with a title on the line
Asked about the element of surprise in them shooting up the league table, given that they had won only once in eight games when he took charge, Rohl replied: ‘I’m not surprised, but more I’m happy with how we improved as a group.
‘I think we are still not at the end where we want to go. I think this is also important to understand. We have to improve more parts of the game and consistently over minutes.
‘But we’ve surprised [other people] with a lot of good results at the moment and we’ve surprised that we are now in a position where we are not in no-man’s land.
‘We are really involved in a race and I think this is fantastic. From this point, we have to continue. This is crucial because four wins is good in a row, but five wins in a row is much, much better.
‘I think our club, our expectations are so high. You are never under the radar here. I think you have to deliver. You have to take points. The pressure is on, and we make our own pressure.
‘We want to win games and we want to be involved in the title race. And now we are there, it’s three points behind the top.
‘Of course, there’s still one game in hand. We have to be on the front foot, we have to be hungry, we have to be ambitious, but we also have to be humble to take the position where we are at the moment.’
The signings of Sturm Graz midfielder Chukwuani and Westerlo left-back Rommens are a clear statement that Rangers’ business in January will not merely be a patch-up operation.
Sunderland winger Mundle has featured off the bench of late but wants more game time
Midfielder Neil has spent his entire career at Sunderland and captained them to promotion
Cavenagh and those in the Ibrox hierarchy are acutely aware of the opportunity that has now presented itself as the club get set to battle Hearts and Celtic over the coming months.
Chukwuani, a Danish Under-21 international, will be signed for a fee of around £4million, whilst Rommens, who has also played for Belgium at Under-21 level, is expected to join for around £3m.
Rangers are also keen on adding another striker if possible and are exploring their options with regards to another addition at centre-back.
The Ibrox club have also made enquiries about Sunderland duo Dan Neil and Romaine Mundle. Neil is a central midfielder who has captained the club, whilst Mundle is a winger.
Chukwuani and Rommens could potentially go straight into the squad to face Aberdeen tomorrow if Rangers can get the deals over the line in time.
Asked if the new signings could be available immediately, Rohl said: ‘Hopefully, yes. But of course, then it’s a big decision. Maybe the new signings didn’t train so much with the group.
‘You have to make sure they are ready, and give them also the right opportunity to show what they can do. And it’s then a big decision for me in the next 24 hours when they arrive.
‘I think it’s good that we have Aberdeen and then we have a cup game where we can use them. We can bring them here to get some impression from the group, from the players. I can see them on the pitch.
‘This is perfect. Yeah, I think some players, some new signings, they have to make an impact straight away because of the situation.
‘But I have to make sure that it’s the right starting point because I know this from the past. If you bring players on and they need a couple of days to settle down, to be here, and you put them straight in, then it could also go in the other direction. This is exactly the balance we have to find now with these players.’
On the prospect of facing Aberdeen for a second time in only a matter of days, Rohl added: ‘They will be a different opponent to Tuesday because the environment, the stadium, the atmosphere will be different.
‘They will challenge us. I think we also gave them opportunities on Tuesday in counter-attacks. We have to be very sure that we give them not so many opportunities again because there are also some players who can hurt us.
‘If we play on our highest level again, then we have a big chance to take the next three points.’
