Rangers manager Michael Beale targets 'massive impact' players in summer transfer window

Rangers manager Michael Beale has drawn up his plans for the summer transfer window and wants three or four signings who can make a “massive impact” to his side.

Beale brought in two new faces in January with the arrival of midfielders Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell as he began to put his mark on the squad inherited from Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Though he made a positive start in the league, winning all but one of his first 14 games in charge, Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final defeat to Celtic underlined the work that is still to be done to improve his side’s trophy ambitions.

Beale admitted that there was still disappointment from the Hampden defeat but said that Celtic had been deserved winners and it was his task to get Rangers to a higher level.

Key to that progress will be revamping the squad and the manager says he’s already made some calls on what will happen in a summer of change at Ibrox.

“We have to move forward, we have to improve quickly,” he said. “We know there are key decisions to be made at this club.

“I’ve made those decisions, I’ve explained where I see those are but when we communicate them and action them is in the summer.

“Until then there’s 12 league games, there’s a cup quarter final and we still need to improve because this is not a normal football club. One defeat in 17 and there’s a lot of noise so we need to move forward quickly.”

The manager, who stressed that he had only been in the job for 90 days when Rangers lost Sunday’s final, admitted that “Patience and Glasgow don’t go hand in hand” but believes he knows exactly what needs to be done in terms of turning over his squad. Beale wants some big hitter but will also say goodbye to existing Rangers players.

“When the window opens there’s going to be change,” he said. “I think everybody knew that when I came into the club.

“I think all the fans agree with that as well.

“But at this moment in time we’re in the middle of the campaign and not at the end of it.

“I think we need to recruit three or four that are going to make a massive impact to the team.

“We need to sort out the futures of the ones that are there. It may be that we need to change one or two that are in contract as well.

“So there’s no exact number on it. I need to make a strong team.

“At the moment we have a recipe to a certain level but in that game we fell short at the weekend. After it there’s emotion but you take two or three days to assess it.

“It’s your job to assess it, not to be a fan, it’s your job to assess who has got the appetite and the quality to take us where we want to go.

“I’ll keep that in-house but I’m very clear on that, I’ve been clear on it for a while.

“I’m definitely clear on the direction we need to go, it’s just we’re not at the summer window.”