Rangers made bid to sign a “phenomenon” under Smith, they got Negri instead

Glasgow Rangers will need to turn things around swiftly in the Premiership if they hope to undergo a title challenge this season.

After five league matches, Rangers trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by five points already, winning just three of their games.

The Belgian didn’t exactly enjoy the greatest of transfer windows, despite signing a host of new players for the Ibrox side. Several key targets ended up moving elsewhere, while those who were surplus to requirements at the club ended up leaving for less than their market value, or too late in the window to adequately replace them.

He isn’t the first Rangers manager to have missed out on key targets during his spell in charge of the club, as many of his predecessors were linked with more prominent names than the likes of Albion Rrahmani, that’s for sure.

The late Walter Smith had the chance to sign several high-quality stars during his two spells in charge of the club, especially when money appeared to be no object during the 1990s.

Sometimes he was able to get his man, with Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne being prime examples. Other times, however, he was forced to settle for second best, which certainly impacted the performances of the team on the field.

After winning a ninth league title in a row during the 1996/97 campaign, Smith had the perfect opportunity to go for ten in a row and surpass the record Celtic had set in the 1960s and 1970s.

He had to get things spot on in the transfer window, however…

Walter Smith’s signings after winning nine in a row

The Light Blues were still able to call upon players such as Laudrup and Gascoigne heading into the 1997/98 season. With history beckoning, this was a chance the club might not achieve again.

That summer, the manager signed Lorenzo Amoruso, Sergio Porrini, Gennaro Gattuso and Jonas Thern, among others. These four signings had a wealth of experience in Serie A, with Porrini even winning the Champions League with Juventus just a year earlier, showing that Smith meant business.

It was another player that joined the squad from the Italian top flight who was somewhat of an unknown quantity, but would demonstrate his talents for the Gers, especially during the first six months of the season – Marco Negri.

Marco Negri’s statistics at Rangers

With the elusive tenth league crown in a row waiting if Rangers won the league, getting off to a good start was imperative.

Negri hit the ground running superbly well at Ibrox. In his first ten league matches, the striker netted an impressive 23 goals as it looked like the club certainly had the perfect heir to an ageing Ally McCoist, who would leave the following summer.

The £3.5m signing from Perugia looked the part, with Smith’s side taking an early lead in the Championship title race thanks to Negri’s goals and some confident performances.

Everything looked rosy until the Italian suffered an eye injury while playing squash in January, limiting his opportunities during the second half of the season as Celtic eventually finished as champions.

There is no doubt the Light Blues would likely have won the title had Negri not suffered the injury. But might Smith have signed a better centre-forward in 1997 rather than the Italian? As Brazilian icon Ronaldo was surprisingly linked with the club.

Rangers’ wanted a “phenomenon” in 1997

Having signed various players from the Italian top flight in the summer of 1997, one name stood out above the rest – Ronaldo.

A few years ago, a documentary was released surrounding Ronaldo’s exit from Barcelona in the summer of 1997 and his former agent was on hand to claim that the Light Blues showed a surprising interest in bringing the striker to Ibrox, having even made an offer at the time.

“We had nothing against the renewal of Ronaldo with Barca, but we wanted to avoid image contracts and complicated situations,” said Giovanni Branchini, Ronaldo’s agent.

“While the negotiations remained stalled, we observed the interest shown by Lazio, Inter and Glasgow Rangers.

“The offer from Glasgow Rangers was incredible. They told us he didn’t have to play on a Saturday in the Scottish League.”

Rangers would have been significantly bolstered with the addition of Ronaldo to the side, and they could certainly have progressed far in the Champions League.

Ronaldo moved to Inter Milan instead, establishing himself as one of the finest strikers to have ever played the game.

Ronaldo’s career statistics

Former Chelsea star Gus Poyet hailed the Brazilian as a “phenomenon” as the striker showed his talents in Milan, despite suffering a series of knee injuries which hampered his progress.

After winning the World Cup in 1994 as a 17-year-old, Ronaldo scored eight goals during the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea, redemption for 1998, where he was uncharacteristically quiet in the final against France.

A spell at Real Madrid yielded over 100 goals, before he wound down his career with spells at AC Milan and Corinthians in his homeland.

In what was a remarkable career, Ronaldo scored a total of 298 club career goals in 454 matches. Another 62 goals in 99 appearances for Brazil, which would have been more if not for injuries, and it is evident he is one of the best number nines of all time.

Imagine his presence at Ibrox during the 1997/98 campaign? He would have been the finest signing ever for a Scottish side. Considering how in demand he was due to a stunning spell at Barcelona, perhaps Smith never really stood a chance of bringing him to Ibrox.

To watch Ronaldo in his prime was a joy to behold. The sheer pace, especially before his knee injuries, was absolutely devastating, while his ability to finish from anywhere in the opposition penalty box made him one of the most revered forwards of his generation and perhaps of all time.

Negri was excellent for a brief period, but Rangers may have had the chance to bring a legend of the game to Glasgow.