Martin could seal dream 1st Rangers signing in “magnificent” £20m star

Rangers are expected to be extremely busy during this summer’s transfer market.

New Ibrox manager Russell Martin has a big job on his hands, needing to rebuild an underperforming and, in parts, dysfunctional Rangers squad, so plenty of ins and outs are forecast.

On Wednesday, the Gers will learn the identity of their first opponents of the Martin era, preparing to for their Champions League second qualifying round, coming up as soon as 22/23 July.

Before then, could the Gers secure the services of a “magnificent” new goalkeeper?

Rangers’ goalkeeping dilemma

After joining the club two years ago, Jack Butland was Rangers’ undisputed number one, starting 102 of his first 111 matches at the club, described by then-manager Philippe Clement as a “top goalkeeper”, even touted with a potential England recall.

However, Butland made a string of high-profile errors throughout the season, most notably at Old Trafford against Manchester United in January, indicating that the Gers can no longer rely on their shot-stopper.

Thus, following the appointment of Barry Ferguson as interim manager, Butland was eventually dropped, with Liam Kelly given the nod for the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, memorably saving Álex Berenguer’s penalty during the first leg goalless draw at Ibrox.

Nevertheless, the table below underlines that perhaps neither are equipped to be Rangers’ first choice going forward.

Butland and Kelly’s respective lowly save percentages in the Scottish Premiership this season are the most alarming statistics included in the table above, underlining that Martin should be in the market for a new goalkeeper, so could they land a statement new number one?

Rangers targeting a new goalkeeper

As previously reported by Sports Boom earlier this month, Rangers ‘have entered the race’ to sign Aaron Ramsdale this summer, with Martin hoping to be reunited with the goalkeeper he managed at Southampton just last season.

Ramsdale joined the Saints from Arsenal last summer, having fallen below David Raya in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order, for a reported fee of £25m, but is likely to be on the move again, after Southampton’s catastrophic relegation back to the EFL Championship.

A report in the Times claims that West Ham are targeting a move for Ramsdale this summer, valued at around £20m by the Saints, although his £100,000-per-week salary could see him only move on loan, which is where Rangers could enter the conversation.

So, would Ramsdale be a significant upgrade on Butland? Let’s find out.

Worth noting that Ramsdale’s statistics are particularly impressive considering he was playing for a historically terrible Southampton side, hence why only Mark Flekken made more saves in this season’s Premier League than he did.

Importantly, his save % is better and he also stops a higher % of crosses, showing he’s more confident in the air.

Journalist Charles Watts labelled Ramsdale’s performances for Arsenal as “magnificent”, with Arteta describing him as “exceptional”, following a man of the match performance at Anfield two seasons ago, words that simply highlight his pedigree.

Thus, it is clear that the England international would be a massive coup for Rangers, if they can bring this deal to life.

Related

£6m star returns to Ibrox: AI predicts who Rangers will sign this summer

It could be a busy few months for the 49ers.