Rangers have had a quiet beginning to the January transfer window but Derek Johnstone believes they should dip into the market to sign a new striker before the deadline passes on January 31st.

What's the word?

It remains to be seen if Steven Gerrard will recruit any fresh blood this month but rumours do suggest he is entertaining the prospect of signing a new centre-forward.

According to the Daily Record, the Gers are interested in signing Tyrese Campbell from Stoke City, though Celtic are also interested in his signature.

Gerrard already has two strikers of high quality in his squad in the shape of Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe, but they don't differ too considerably from a stylistic perspective.

And that's something which Johnstone, the incredibly versatile talent who played more than 350 games for Rangers, expressed concern over in his Glasgow Times column before suggesting the Ibrox decision makers should look to sign a physically commanding striker this month.

"What I would like to see is a big six-foot-two striker brought in to give Rangers another option. They don’t have that right now."

Spot on

Given the current options available to Gerrard, there is no doubt that Johnstone is absolutely right to suggest the club should be targeting a 6ft 2 striker.

As pressure begins to build and the natural flow begins to dissipate during the nervy, business end of the season, having the ability to tweak the tactical approach mid-game cannot be underestimated.

If Rangers find themselves chasing a result and appear lost for ideas, Gerrard is lacking a focal point to bring on in attack to disrupt the opponent's defensive unit, but the signing of a towering attacker could change all that.

Morelos and Defoe are fantastically gifted goal scorers in their own right but the Scottish giants run the risk of growing stale if they are unable to implement a plan b in the final months of the season.

And that's without even considering the threat of injuries, suspensions, and burnout, which are plausible possibilities given the Colombian's chequered history and the fact the Englishman is 37.

It remains to be seen whether Ross Wilson will be able to secure the services of a new attacking recruit this month, but Johnstone's verdict provides an accurate profile of the type of player he should be eyeing.

In other news, some Rangers fans are predicting a big future for 22-year-old Gerrard signing...