Interim Rangers chairman John Gilligan has outlined player trading and Champions League qualification as the key strategies for closing the gap on Celtic.
The Light Blues currently trail their Glasgow rivals by five points in the Premiership and have won just one league title since their return to the top flight.
Rangers have seen significant changes at the top, with former chairman John Bennett stepping down due to health reasons and CEO James Bisgrove departing for a role in Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.
Gilligan, who has stepped in as interim chairman, was candid when asked about the current gap between Rangers and Celtic, acknowledging that the club is playing catch-up.
“History tells you that happens,” Gilligan admitted.
“Sometimes we are ahead, sometimes Celtic are ahead. At the moment we are chasing. There is no argument there, I am not stupid enough to say otherwise (unlike Philippe Clement and Graeme Souness living in denial). But we will keep chasing.”
He pointed to two primary ways for Rangers to regain parity: Player trading and Champions League qualification.
“Player trading is the biggest success and qualification for the Champions League. It is a kind of Catch 22 – player trading gets you income, Champions League gets you income.
“When you fail to get it, it is difficult because Scottish football’s level of support, TV, sponsorship etc, you just can’t compare it to England’s.
“So it is always a challenge, of course it is. It is all about the squad and bringing in players and winning your matches and moving forward.”
Gilligan also touched on the financial situation at the club, confirming new investment is coming into Rangers, while addressing former chairman Dave King’s expressed desire to return to a leadership role.
“There is fresh investment coming in to the club. But in fairness, Dave is talking about fresh investment, but he doesn’t want to invest. I am not quite sure where he means the investment is going to come from. There will be investment.”
As Rangers look to rebuild and compete with Celtic, Gilligan’s comments reflect the club’s determination to push forward, despite the challenges they face in Scottish football’s financial landscape.