Rangers are expected to bring in as many as five additional signings before the transfer window shuts, according to chairman John Bennett... though it was chief executive Jim Gillespie who addressed reporters alongside shareholder Paraag Marathe during a recent media session, shedding light on the club's recruitment strategy and a contentious refereeing decision from the weekend.
Gillespie fielded questions about the appointment of new manager Derek McInnes, who narrowly missed out on the Scottish title while in charge of Heart of Midlothian last season. Explaining the thinking behind the hire, Gillespie described the club's approach to identifying candidates in terms of contrasting managerial philosophies.
"You can go for a Pep [Guardiola] style manager or a [Jurgen] Klopp style manager - we wanted a Klopp-style manager who plays on the front foot," Gillespie said.
He added that McInnes had long been under consideration by the Ibrox hierarchy before ultimately being deemed the right fit. "Derek has been high on our list for a long time and we think he fits the style and culture of this club," Gillespie said.
Beyond managerial matters, Gillespie also touched on a controversial refereeing incident from Rangers' 2-1 defeat to Hibernian on Sunday. The club confirmed it is seeking clarification from the Scottish Football Association over a VAR intervention that resulted in a penalty being awarded to Hibernian during the match.
Gillespie expressed skepticism over whether the standard required for such interventions had actually been met. "It was my understanding that it has to be a clear and obvious error for the referee to be called over," he said. "I didn't see that as either clear or obvious."
The Rangers chief executive went further, using the incident to raise broader concerns about the state of officiating and video review protocols in Scottish football. He called for greater accountability and a clearer roadmap for improving standards across the board.
"We need a strategy for developing referees and VAR," Gillespie said, before posing a direct challenge to the governing body. "My question for the SFA would be 'what is the strategy for improvement?' - we have to get improvement."
The comments come at a pivotal moment for Rangers, who are looking to strengthen their squad significantly as they push forward under new management. With Gillespie signaling that up to five more additions could arrive before the transfer deadline, the club appears intent on backing McInnes with the resources needed to implement his front-foot style of football.
The timing of the VAR controversy, however, adds another layer of tension to a club already navigating a period of transition. Rangers' willingness to publicly challenge the SFA over the penalty decision suggests growing frustration with refereeing standards in the Scottish game, an issue that has periodically flared up across the league in recent seasons.
Whether the SFA responds directly to Gillespie's pointed questions remains to be seen, but the episode underscores the pressure clubs continue to place on football's governing bodies to ensure consistency and transparency in decision-making, particularly when video assistant referee calls have a direct impact on results.
As Rangers look ahead to the rest of the season, the dual focus on squad building and officiating standards illustrates the multiple fronts on which the club's leadership is currently engaged, both in shaping the team's future on the pitch and in advocating for broader systemic changes within Scottish football.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.