Daily Record reporter warns his colleagues that Ibrox January budget has gone on Fernandes

Scott Burns has told the Daily Record Hotline that the Ibrox transfer budget has been blown on Rafael Fernandes.

That isn’t likely to hold the Glasgow based publisher back from their daily servings of exciting transfer news as they link Phil Clement with big money signings.

On Saturday the Ibrox club made a big song and dance about signing Fernandes, a 22-year-old with less than 20 senior appearances to his name after a year on the sidelines.

Excited bears were taken through his first hours at the club, shown around the state-of-the-art training facilities at Murray Park where he knew none of his new team-mates and none of them knew him.

‘Ah, Portuguese’ seemed the most common reaction, it seems that more low profile arrivals are unlikely with the main focus being on getting a pre-contract deal signed off with Dundee’s Lyall Cameron.

34 minutes 30 seconds

CAW: What about Rangers Scott? Is there anything in the offing there, there are a lot of punters in the comments, there are, kind of mentioning,  I know that they signed Raphael Fernandez the other day

BURNS: Fernandes, that was the one, that was the main budget, for a central defender. That is pretty much gone with this deal so it is now about moving players out, trying to free up budget for this window. The other one that they are working on is Lyall Cameron, I think that there has been discussions with his side of the camp about a potential deal so

JACKSON: For January Scott?

BURNS: No, no, the deal will be for the summer. I don’t see Rangers paying out any more fees in this window unless they move players on.

The message could hardly be clearer from the Record’s in-house transfer expert.

All sorts of former players have been linked with a stunning return but unless Cyriel Dessers, Kieran Dowell, Rabbi Matondo or Tom Lawrence can be removed from the pay-roll there won’t be any new signings.

All of those players and their agents know the game, sit tight and say how happy you are (with your contract, only Lawrence is out of contract in May) and watch the incentives from the club rise to move out.

That tactic worked for Sam Lammers, Connor Goldson and Todd Cantwell in the summer, they will have told their former team-mates how much of a pay-off they got for leaving.

When Clement was asked about playing Fernandes he replied that the new defender isn’t ready which leaves Robin Propper, Leon Balogun and Leon King to choose from against Manchester United. Clinton Nsiala wasn’t included in the UEFA squad.

Picture by Getty Images

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