Rangers’ Scottish Scouting Shift: A Smart Plan Or Too Late To The Party? | OneFootball

According to a report by Mick Brown of Football Insider this week, Rangers have overhauled their transfer strategy ahead of the summer window, putting a clear focus on signing the best young Scottish talent in the Premiership. The Ibrox club have shifted their approach in recent years, focusing more on developing young players while scouts keep an eye across Europe.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown spoke to Football Insider to explain the logic behind this pivot. He argued that tight finances leave Rangers with little choice but to look closer to home, and that the long-term benefits for both the club and the Scotland national team make this a smart move.

What did Mick Brown say?

Interest has already surfaced in several Scottish Premiership players, including Dundee centre-back Luke Graham and Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who are both part of Rangers’ summer transfer plans. Luke Graham, 22-years-old, plays for Dundee and has grabbed plenty of attention this season for his physical strength and calmness on the ball.

The Perth-born defender plays for Scotland at the Under-21 level and is currently valued at around £1 million. David Watson, meanwhile, represents a much more urgent opportunity. The 21-year-old Kilmarnock midfielder and Scotland Under-21 captain sees his contract expire this summer, meaning he could leave for free if no new deal is signed.

He has bagged 13 goals and six assists for his club so far, and his role as captain of the Scotland Under-21s highlights his status as a young leader in the middle of the pitch. Brown told Football Insider that Rangers’ scouts will be watching more than just Premiership stars, looking further down the Scottish football pyramid as well.

“The transfer market is always difficult for Rangers,” Brown told Football Insider.

“They’re limited financially and it’s difficult to attract players to Scotland when most of the time they’ll have competition from clubs in the Premier League.

“So when you look at the options available to them, they have to look closer to home.

“There is real value to be found in signing Scottish players, young players who are impressing in that division who you know can make the step up.

“Playing for Rangers is obviously different to playing for a team like Kilmarnock, for example, in terms of the pressure, but they already know the league.

“But when you look at players who Rangers have signed recently, it’s mostly fringe players in Europe or Championship players making the move from England.

“Now, Rangers want to sign the best Scottish talent to come and develop and turn into the level of player they’re going to be after long-term.

“Their scouts will be keeping a close eye on which players are coming through, who is impressing in the Premiership and even lower down than that.

“It’s something that would benefit the national team as well, having these players playing at a higher level, so it works for all parties really.”

Is Rangers’ Scottish-First Transfer Strategy Brave Thinking or a Missed Opportunity Already Closing?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – FEBRUARY 04: Rangers manager Danny Röhl is seen during the William Hill Premiership match between Rangers and Kilmarnock at Ibrox Stadium on February 04, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The strategy makes total sense on paper, but the David Watson situation shows exactly why pulling off this kind of plan is harder than it looks. Bologna have entered the race alongside Celtic, Rangers, and Hearts for Watson, making enquiries as the Italian side plans a summer midfield rebuild.

Rangers now find themselves in a scrap for a player who is available for nothing, plays in a league they know inside out, and whom they have been tracking, yet they face real competition from Serie A. Celtic are also thought to be in the mix for Watson, setting up a potential Old Firm battle for his signature. Rangers cannot afford to scout a player, decide he fits the bill, and then lose him to Bologna because they moved too slowly.

This is where the strategy needs real action behind the scouting. Rangers spent roughly £25 million in the summer of 2025 with very little to show for it, and while Danny Rohl has steadied things since taking over in October, the squad still needs a massive overhaul. Rohl has been vocal about wanting to sit down with his recruitment team to plan properly, and that discipline is a good sign.

Findlay Curtis, the 19-year-old who scored three goals in 21 games during the first half of the season, including the opener in a Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos, is set to return from his loan at Kilmarnock to fight for a spot, showing that Rohl values the talent already at the club. That mindset of building from within while adding specific quality is the right path forward.

This policy is the right move, but it only works if Rangers act fast and with clear intent. The Watson situation proves that the Scottish market is no longer a quiet pond where Ibrox can fish whenever they like. Other clubs, including those from abroad, have spotted the value in the Premiership. Rangers need to stop treating Scottish football as a backup option and start treating it as a genuine battleground for talent, because right now, they risk being beaten in their own backyard.