Graeme Souness has highlighted the significant financial investment required for Rangers to compete more closely with Celtic. Following Celtic’s dominant 3-0 victory over Rangers last Sunday, which extended their lead to five points in the William Hill Premiership, Souness has made it clear that closing this gap will require a substantial outlay.
Celtic’s recent success has been impressive, with them winning 12 of the last 13 Scottish titles and securing an unprecedented quadruple treble. In contrast, Rangers have only claimed three trophies since their liquidation in 2012. Souness acknowledges the gap between the two Old Firm rivals but believes it is not insurmountable. He suggests that a significant investment—around £50 million—could bring Rangers closer to Celtic in terms of competitiveness. However, he also notes that Rangers currently lack the financial resources for such spending.
In his comments on William Hill’s Three Up Front podcast, Souness discussed the potential for improvement if Rangers could invest in three or four high-quality signings. He drew a parallel to Liverpool’s performance last season, noting that both Liverpool and Rangers could have won their respective leagues if they had performed better in the final games. Despite acknowledging Celtic’s superiority, Souness pointed out that Rangers’ performance in the recent Old Firm derby wasn’t as one-sided as some might suggest, with Celtic having more effective striking options.
Souness, who enjoyed a successful spell managing Rangers and helped the club secure nine consecutive league titles in the 1990s, expressed frustration at the current state of his former club. He remains optimistic that with the right financial boost, Rangers can once again become a strong contender in the Old Firm derby. Despite spending £14 million on new players last season, Rangers fell short against a Celtic side that invested double that amount. Souness believes that with additional funds, Rangers could once again challenge Celtic more effectively.