Rangers Manager Russell Martin Has Just Spent Nearly £10M On League One Duo | OneFootball

Rangers’ summer window is beginning to unfold in earnest as the club continues to pursue signings under new manager Russell Martin. With fans eager to see where the direction of the rebuild is heading, there has been plenty of discussion, both online and around Ibrox, about the latest additions and what they say about the club’s ambitions for the season ahead. It is early days, and while pre-season has barely kicked off, Rangers’ transfer activity and how Rangers spend big on League One signings is already raising eyebrows among the support and wider Scottish football community.

The spending so far has taken many by surprise. Rangers have already committed close to £10 million on two players from England’s third tier, with Thelo Aasgard reportedly commanding a £5 million fee and Emmanuel Hernandez costing £3.5 million. That is a huge chunk of what appears to be Martin’s summer transfer budget, and it begs the question as to whether that money has been spent wisely or not. For a side needing significant quality to challenge Celtic and regain domestic dominance, going big on a pair of League One talents feels like a real gamble.

There is nothing inherently wrong with buying from League One. In fact, there are plenty of examples of players making the step up from that level and succeeding in the Scottish Premiership. But these deals have to be considered within context. Hernandez was viewed by many Peterborough fans as a squad player at best, and his value before Rangers came calling was under £500,000. The English side are laughing all the way to the bank after managing to bring in seven times that from Ibrox. It raises serious questions about who is making the decisions and why such a significant outlay was sanctioned on a player with that sort of reputation.

Aasgard, meanwhile, has slightly better credentials. The Norwegian has youth caps for his country and was rated at Luton, though they were relegated and he was not a standout. Even so, £5 million is a steep price for a midfielder who was not one of the Championship’s brightest lights. Once again, Rangers are throwing serious cash at a player who has not proven himself consistently at a high level.

The issue is not just about individual players. It is about the wider picture. Rangers are in a phase of transition and Russell Martin needs to get it right from the outset. If he is spending nearly £10 million on two players from the third tier of English football, the pressure on those signings to deliver is enormous. Fans want quality and they want progress, not just in Europe but domestically as well. These signings, rightly or wrongly, do not scream ambition. They scream risk. They scream bargain-bin thinking at luxury prices.

There may well be method to the madness. Perhaps Martin sees something in Hernandez and Aasgard that others have missed. Perhaps they will be transformative and prove the doubters wrong. But at this stage, with little top-flight pedigree between them and a price tag more in line with proven internationals, the moves feel questionable.

Rangers have made a statement this window, but it is not the one many hoped for. It is not the marquee signing, the proven quality, the Champions League-experienced name that fans wanted to see arrive. Instead, it is two unproven League One lads with a huge price tag and huge expectations now placed on their shoulders. Only time will tell if that bet pays off.

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