Sale of Nigeria stars : Ex-Leeds striker insists it could be difficult for Rangers to persuade targets 

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has admitted that it could be difficult for Glasgow Rangers to persuade transfer targets to  join the club in the January transfer window as replacements for departed players if they miss out on qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League. 

Ahead of their trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, the Light Blues are sitting bottom of the Group A table in the Champions League following heavy defeats to Ajax Amsterdam and Napoli. 

The Rangers squad have been weakened by some of the business the powers that be conducted in the summer transfer window, with the sales of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey to Southampton and Ajax Amsterdam respectively, while another Nigeria star in Leon Balogun was surprisingly not offered a new contract. 

Bassey and Aribo played key roles as Rangers reached last season's Europa League final, where they were beaten by  Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties. 

Rangers are willing to listen to offers for Aribo's pal, Glen Kamara in January after a proposed move to OGC Nice fell through at the last minute in the summer. 

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan stated : "Of course, they’re always going to be successful domestically – they’re Glasgow Rangers.

"But at the same time, they’ve lost a lot of really good, talented players. Their targets might think ‘oh, I’m going to a really weakened Rangers side here – I’m not playing alongside Kamara, Kent, Bassey or Aribo’.

"They’re losing a massive nucleus of talented players, and it’s worrying."

Rangers cashed in on Aribo with a year left on the midfielder's contract while Bassey's deal with four-time European champions Ajax is the largest transfer fee received by Rangers in their history. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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