‘Utter madness’ – Ally McCoist staggered at what Rangers did on deadline day
Rangers had a busy transfer window as they brought 13 new players into the squad, but not every signing appears set to work out.
Russell Martin is under huge pressure after a dismal start to the season despite the major squad rebuild, which also saw several key players leave.
Rangers’ recruitment has been dire for some time now, and criticism is directed at the board and directors every year.
Despite new ownership from Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, and a new director in Kevin Thelwell, Rangers have still made some mistakes, and Ally McCoist has now slammed one particular deal.
Ally McCoist slams Rangers deal for Oscar Cortes
McCoist has now slammed Rangers over the dealing surrounding Oscar Cortes, after the winger joined Sporting Gijon on loan on deadline day.
Cortes joined Rangers last year on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for around £4.5 million, but after just 21 appearances, he was cast out of Ibrox.
| Player | Transfer |
| Oscar Cortes* | Loan made permanent |
| Lyall Cameron | Permanent |
| Max Aarons | Loan |
| Nasser Djiga | Loan |
| Emmanuel Fernandez | Permanent |
| Joe Rothwell | Permanent |
| Thelo Aasgaard | Permanent |
| Djeidi Gassama | Permanent |
| Oliver Antman | Permanent |
| Mikey Moore | Loan |
| Jayden Meghoma | Loan |
| Derek Cornelius | Loan |
| Youssef Chermiti | Permanent |
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist highlighted the deal as one of many poor ones Rangers have conducted, and questioned why the club has paid so much for a player who is now out on loan.
“I’ve been moaning with a lot of justification about the recruitment at my club Rangers, it hasn’t been good enough,” McCoist stated.
“To give you an example, I think we just completed a deal for a lad called Oscar Cortes in July for four and a half million, and we’ve just put him out on a season loan, which is absolute and utter madness, for a club of any stature.”
Rangers need to avoid loan with obligation deals
Rangers’ scouting and recruitment needs to improve in general, with little recent success coming from scouting South American players, and players in the English lower leagues.
While Alfredo Morelos proved to be a hit, deals for Jose Cifuentes, Danilo and Jefte have not worked out, and in previous years the likes of Carlos Pena failed to make an impact.
There is also a need to structure these deals better. Loans with options to buy, like the deal for Derek Cornelius, would be welcomed as risk-free signings, but when they come with mandatory buy clauses, there is an issue.
Had Cortes been a straight loan, he could have been sent back. Had he even been bought last summer, he could have been sold to recuperate some of the fee, but in this summer, Rangers have had to pay for him despite his poor performances, and found him impossible to sell, meaning a loan was necessary.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.