Michael Beale's Rangers transfer tricks revealed by Todd Cantwell as summer search intensifies with Butland and Dowell

Todd Cantwell has already seen for himself just how persuasive Michael Beale can be when he gets to sit his transfer targets down man to man.

And he has no doubts the Ibrox gaffer’s charms will be just as effective this summer as Beale gets to work on phase two of his Rangers rebuild. A linchpin of the Londoner’s sales pitch is making sure he can meet with prospective recruits face to face rather than holding signing talks over Zoom.

It was that personal touch which impressed Cantwell when Beale flew south to convince the then Norwich midfielder to quit Carrow Road and become his first addition back in January. It worked on Nico Raskin, too, when the 22-year-old agreed to join a week later from Belgian outfit Standard Liege. And Beale demonstrated last week he remains just as keen to go the distance to secure his top targets after jetting out to Rome in pursuit of further recruits.

With Manchester United loan keeper Jack Butland and Cantwell’s old Canaries colleague Kieran Dowell reportedly next on the Gers gaffer’s wish list, the new Ibrox ace does not expect to see his manager disappointed. Cantwell said: “It worked for me! So yeah, let’s hope it is as successful as it was for me.

“The manager was very honest with me, which is something in football that is paramount. To have honesty and transparency is really important for a footballer and everything I’ve been told before I came has stayed true since I have been here, so I can’t complain. We met up a couple of times. It definitely feels that (he was prepared to make that personal touch).

“If your manager is coming out of his time to meet you, then you know how serious he is and what he’s saying at that point you have to believe. Since Covid, Zoom has been quite