Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson is adamant the club is under no pressure to cash in on prize asset Alfredo Morelos next month.
But the new Ibrox recruitment guru insists he is armed with a list of potential replacements if the 22-goal striker does leave the Light Blues.
Wilson is convinced that £20 million-rated Morelos, currently with Colombia’s squad ahead of their friendly double header against Peru and Ecuador, could star in ANY league in the world.
But boss Steven Gerrard promised fans Morelos won’t be sold in the January transfer window despite the club announcing a loss of £11.3m in their annual accounts and the need for a further £10m investment before the end of the season.
Wilson backed up that strong stance as Mark Allen’s successor was officially unveiled but the former Southampton director of football insists they will be prepared if the day comes when the South American departs Govan.
The 36-year-old admitted outgoings are more likely than incomings in January as they look to trim the squad but asked if Morelos would be at Rangers at the end of the season, he said: “Yes, we want our best players to stay here as long as they can.
“Like every club in world football, there comes a point when players move on for a variety of reasons. We’re no different to that but that’s certainly not on the horizon for January.
“The first team has a number of players who could be really interesting for a number of clubs because the club is in a significantly better position than it was before.
“And a lot of that is down to the recruitment and the work Steven and the coaching staff - who are excellent - have done with the players.
“Holding those players for as long as we can is important. Clearly players may reach a point in the future where they go somewhere else but keeping our best players here for as long as possible is important.
“So we are not planning on selling. We do plan to reduce the squad. We think the squad is too big and plan to reduce that slightly.
“We are not planning any significant incoming work, but if there is an opportunity that Steven or myself and the coaches think will enhance us we will look at it.
“Alfredo looks an interesting player. He looks exciting, there is no doubt about that. He is scoring goals at an incredible rate and a player who, at this moment in time, looks like he could play in any league.
“He is a player who, when you look at the level he is playing at for Rangers at this moment in time, looks like he could play in any league.
“Clearly the test comes when you are actually playing in that league. But right here, right now for sure he does.”
But asked if he has replacements lined up, he said: “The answer is yes but it will be something that develops on an ongoing basis all the time.
“It’s a conversation that’s ongoing with the scouts all the time. One of the aims of the scouting and recruitment department is to make sure that in every position we always have a strong list of where we might go in a what-if scenario.
“And that’s something we’ve got and it’s something that will build and evolve and develop all the time. And it’s something we have to make sure we get better at all the time.”
