John Hartson: Rangers need quality signings to improve, not numbers
Former Celtic striker John Hartson believes Pedro Caixinha should have gone for quality over quantity in his bid to rebuild Rangers.
So far the Portuguese boss has signed former Aberdeen skipper Ryan Jack, Bruno Alves, Daniel Candeias, Fabio Cardoso and Dalcio for the Ibrox club.
The granting of work permits and visas will see Mexican pair Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera and Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos also sign on, while the Govan club are expected to return with an improved offer for Hearts attacker Jamie Walker, with Norwich's Graham Dorrans on the radar.
Even if Caixinha is successful with all his targets it will not cost Rangers as much as £10million that Hartson spoke of in a Glasgow hotel on Friday morning where, on behalf his own Foundation, he was handing over £20,000 to the Les Hoey MBE Dreammaker Foundation.
However, in principle he favours the more select use of resources.
"With Rangers, it is great bringing in numbers but they need quality," Hartson, these days a pundit, said.
"If I had £10million to spend I would buy three players, I wouldn't buy seven or eight because you want quality when you want Rangers to improve.
"Celtic are right out there at the minute, they are the team to chase. They had a phenomenal season, winning the treble with a record amount of wins, points and goals scored.
"They have some top-class players and they will only strengthen, which makes it difficult for the teams below them to get near them.
"Rangers will be stronger but whether that is enough to finish second above Aberdeen - I think that is the challenge for those clubs, if I'm being honest. I'm not being disrespectful when I say that.
"I think Aberdeen performed admirably in the (two major) finals that they got to but they came up against a really strong team in Celtic. so it is all about improving.
"Derek McInnes has decided to stay at Aberdeen and I'm sure their fans will be delighted about that.
"Caixinha is having a go, he is signing players. Whether or not they will be good enough quality-wise we'll just wait and see, but it is going to be exciting."
While Hartson noted that Dons boss McInnes had, somewhat surprisingly, turned down the chance to move to Sunderland on Thursday night, the Pittodrie club appear set to lose winger Jonny Hayes to Celtic.
The former Arsenal, West Ham and Wales forward believes the 29-year-old Dubliner would improve Brendan Rodgers' squad.
Hartson said: "He is a player of quality. It looks like (Manchester City loan winger) Pat Roberts is down the road and he is a great little player.
"But Hayes is a similar player in that he excites supporters. He has great delivery, he can go past a player, he can score a goal.
"When you get a chance to go to Celtic, the treble winners, it is very difficult for a club like Aberdeen to keep him. But certainly he is a player who can improve any team."
Hartson's Foundation was launched in 2010 to raise awareness of Testicular Cancer and funds for cancer charities, and has raised almost £700,000 with plans to get to £1million.
He said: "I couldn't think of anything more fitting to give our next donation to, the Dreammaker Foundation, so hopefully there will be many more donations to come.