Some transfer stories are about momentum. This one is about restraint.
Football Insider reported on Saturday morning, citing sources, that Rangers are unlikely to reignite their interest in Plymouth Argyle striker Aribim Pepple when the January window opens. The story arrives in the middle of a good spell for the Ibrox club, who are on a six-game winning run, have kept clean sheets in four consecutive matches and beaten Celtic in each of their recent meetings. In that context, a manager who is happy with his strikers is a manager who is not looking for another one.
It is an interesting contrast. Pepple is, on paper, exactly the sort of player supporters like to dream about: a young, powerful number nine from the English third tier who scores goals at a rate that makes recruitment departments take notice. Rangers did notice. They were reported to be among a number of clubs tracking him during the summer, and they have not been shy about admitting that they were looking for striking reinforcements. But the club went in a different direction, and the most recent reporting suggests they are not about to change course.
To understand why, it helps to look at who Pepple is, what Rangers already have and what could change between now and the winter
Aribim “Bim” Pepple was born on Christmas Day 2002 and is 23. A right-footed striker standing around 6ft 1in, he represents Canada and plays for Plymouth Argyle in League One.
His route to Devon was not straightforward. He came through at Luton Town, where first-team chances were limited, and spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Chesterfield. That spell was productive enough to attract attention, and in the summer of 2025 Plymouth signed him in a deal reportedly worth up to £600,000. For a striker who would go on to become one of the division’s most effective forwards, it looks like excellent business.
His first season at Home Park started slowly. Then, as Plymouth’s campaign wore on, something clicked. Pepple scored 16 goals in 24 appearances in the second half of the season, finishing with 18 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions. Plymouth missed out on a play-off place and so on promotion back to the Championship, but the striker’s reputation grew to the point where several clubs were reported to be monitoring him. Portsmouth, Norwich City, Watford and Lincoln City were all linked at various points, along with Rangers.
Descriptions of his game emphasise a traditional centre-forward profile. He is strong with his back to goal, dangerous in the air and quick to find good positions in the penalty area. Head coach Tom Cleverley has publicly acknowledged that Pepple’s contract contains a release clause, a detail that made him more accessible to potential buyers than most players of his quality.
This season he has carried on where he left off. Football Insider reports that he has scored five goals in 11 appearances for Argyle, a rate that would be impressive in any division and keeps him at the centre of transfer conversations.
The most striking thing about Pepple’s relationship with Rangers is how openly he has discussed it. In a recent interview, he admitted that he was flattered by the Scottish club’s interest, describing it as a compliment and a sign that he was doing something well. He also made clear that he stayed focused on Plymouth and was aiming to play at the highest level possible.
That is the sort of response you would expect from a player who is aware of interest but is not agitating for a move. It also matches what Plymouth’s chief executive, Paul Berne, said earlier in the summer, when he insisted that the club did not plan to sell Pepple and that all of their players would be with them on the first day of pre-season. Berne’s comment reportedly came at a time when Rangers’ interest was being widely reported, and it underlined that Plymouth had no wish to see their top scorer leave.
What did Rangers themselves say? Publicly, very little. The club does not comment on transfer targets, and Derek McInnes, who took over from Danny Rohl at the start of the summer, has been careful to avoid naming players he has been linked with. Reports at the time suggested that Pepple emerged onto the radar as Rangers searched for several new striker signings. Once McInnes was appointed, one report speculated that the club might no longer be so keen, given the manager’s own preferences.
In the end, the interest did not lead to an offer. Football Insider says Rangers decided against pursuing the striker and instead explored alternative options. Pepple stayed at Home Park, and the summer window closed with Rangers having addressed their forward line in other ways
Football Insider’s latest report is built around a conversation on its Transfer Insider podcast. Pete O’Rourke said that, in his reading, Pepple could be on Rangers’ radar but is not a priority going into the winter window. He pointed to the club’s spending on Kevin Kelsy, who was signed before the summer window closed, and said the Venezuelan has had a decent impact in his early days at Ibrox. O’Rourke added that Rangers still have depth in attack, and that a new striker is not going to be a priority in January.
His conclusion was that interest in Pepple may simply not be required right now because Rangers are well stocked up front.
That assessment is supported by the squad itself. Kelsy cost around £9million, making him one of the most significant investments of McInnes’s first transfer window. Ryan Naderi, who arrived from Hansa Rostock earlier in the year, has scored in recent games. Bojan Miovski, the former Aberdeen striker, is also in the mix. And two senior forwards, Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti, are injured but expected to return.
Put together, that is a lot of options. For a manager who has been building a squad with balance in mind, adding another striker would risk upsetting the dynami
It is worth looking at each of the forwards McInnes can call on, because the case against signing Pepple rests on the strength of that group.
Kevin Kelsy.The Venezuelan was signed in the closing days of the summer window for a fee of around £9million, a significant outlay that signalled how highly the club rated him. He has started to repay that faith, scoring in the derby win and establishing himself as a regular in the starting eleven. He has also been in action for Venezuela during the international break, where he scored his first goal for the national team in a defeat to Japan and played in the goalless draw with South Korea in Ulsan. His confidence is high, and McInnes will want to keep building around him.
Ryan Naderi. Signed from Hansa Rostock in February, Naderi has become a useful contributor. Reports say that Naderi, Kelsy and Miovski all scored in Rangers’ first three games after Shankland suffered his injury, which shows that the squad has coped well in the absence of its main striker.
Bojan Miovski. The Macedonian is an interesting case. He scored 13 goals in all competitions last season, well below the 26 he managed in his final full campaign at Aberdeen, and he is currently seen as being below both Kelsy and Naderi in the pecking order. He has not started a game for Rangers this season, but he came off the bench to score a crucial late goal to secure three points in a recent Premiership match. Reports suggest that Rangers cannot afford to sell him in January, and that his long-term future is in his own hands. If he continues to score when called upon, he strengthens the case that the club does not need another forward.
Lawrence Shankland.The Scotland striker joined from Hearts in the summer and made an immediate impact, scoring three goals in his first five Premiership games. He was forced off in the eighth minute of a recent match with a hamstring injury, and initial reports suggested he would be out for 12 weeks. Football Insider’s sources say the club still expect him back in the new year, with good progress being made in his recovery. Shankland is 31, and his return will give McInnes an experienced option who knows the league inside out.
Youssef Chermiti The Portuguese forward is also injured. Football Insider has reported that he is unlikely to return before the end of the season, although the same outlet’s latest report on the Pepple story suggests that both he and Shankland are expected to return to the fold as the campaign progresses. Those two accounts differ, and the timeline for Chermiti remains uncertain.
Looking at that group, the argument for patience is clear. Rangers have a high-priced signing finding his feet, two forwards in decent form, a third waiting for a chance and a proven goalscorer on the way back. Spending money on a League One striker would be hard to justify unless the injury situation
Injury insurance. Shankland is 31 and recovering from a hamstring problem, while Chermiti’s availability is uncertain. If either suffers a setback, or if another forward picks up an injury, Rangers could find themselves short in a crucial part of the season. A young, hungry striker with a proven scoring record would provide a useful safety net.
Long-term planning.*Shankland’s age means Rangers will need a replacement at some point. Pepple is 23 and could develop into a long-term option. Signing him now, while his price is still relatively low, could be a smart investment.
Value. Pepple reportedly cost Plymouth around £600,000. His current market value, according to some data providers, is under half a million euros, though that figure undersells his scoring record. A release clause makes him more accessible than players on comparable contracts, and a January move might be cheaper than waiting for the summer, when his value could rise further.
Proven scoring. Eighteen goals in 41 games in League One last season and five in 11 this term is a significant return. Goals are the hardest thing to buy in football, and a player who scores consistently has a rare quality.
The lack of a clear alternative.Miovski has struggled to hold down a place, and Naderi is still developing. If Kelsy suffers a dip in form, there is no obvious replacement.
These are reasonable arguments, and they explain why Pepple has stayed on the radar. But they are also arguments for caution rather than urgency, and Football Insider’s sources suggest that Rangers do not see it that way.
The step up. League One is a physical, competitive division, but it is not the Scottish Premiership, and it is certainly not European football. Players who thrive in the English third tier do not always adapt to higher levels. Rangers have signed players from lower divisions in the past with mixed results, and the club may prefer to wait and see how Pepple copes with a higher level of competition.
Squad balance. Adding another striker to a group that already includes Kelsy, Naderi, Miovski, Shankland and Chermiti would create a surplus. Players who are not getting games become unhappy, and unhappy players can disrupt a dressing room. McInnes has already shown a willingness to manage a large squad, but there is a limit
Financial prudence. Rangers spent heavily in the summer, with around a dozen signings, including Kelsy, Pandur and Kim. The club also has other financial priorities, such as extending Dujon Sterling’s contract and dealing with the situation of unused senior players. Spending money on a forward who may not play much would be difficult to justify.
The injury returns. Shankland and Chermiti are both expected to return, and if they do, McInnes will have more options than he needs. Signing another striker now could look unnecessary within weeks.
Pepple’s own position.The player has said he is focused on Plymouth and is flattered by the interest, but he has not agitated for a move. Without that pressure, a January deal would require a negotiated fee, and Plymouth, who have said they do not want to sell, are unlikely to make it easy.
It is also worth considering things from Plymouth’s point of view. Pepple is their best player and their top scorer, and the club have invested heavily in building a team around him. Berne’s public statement that they planned to keep all their players for the season was a clear signal of intent.
The release clause complicates matters. According to Cleverley, Pepple’s contract does include one, which means any club prepared to meet the figure can speak to the player. But the amount has not been made public, and it is likely to be high enough to deter casual interest. A release clause also tends to increase a player’s wages, because it reflects the club’s confidence in him.
Plymouth also have their own ambitions. They missed out on a play-off place last season and will want to push for promotion this time. Losing their top scorer in January would damage those hopes, and the club will do everything it can to keep him.
That does not mean he will stay. If a major club makes an offer that meets the release clause, Plymouth may have little choice. But the evidence so far suggests that Rangers are not going to be that club, at least not in this window
Rangers are not the only club interested. Pepple has been linked with Portsmouth, Norwich City, Watford and Lincoln City, among others. Several of those clubs play in the Championship or League One, and a move to a higher division in England might be more appealing than a move to Scotland.
That competition matters. If Pepple continues to score at his current rate, the pressure on Plymouth will grow, and a bigger club could make an offer that is hard to refuse. Rangers would then face a choice: join the bidding or step aside.
For now, the club appears content to do the latter. But football is unpredictable, and a series of injuries or a sudden loss of form could change that quickly.
Several developments could alter Rangers’ stance between now and the winter windo
None of those scenarios is likely, but together they leave the door open.
Pepple’s story fits into a broader pattern. McInnes has been clear about his philosophy: he wants ready-made players who can make an immediate impact, and he is willing to be patient with young talent when the situation allows. His approach to the summer window showed a preference for experienced professionals, with a sprinkling of high-potential youngsters like Minsu Kim.
Under that approach, a League One striker with no experience of top-flight football is a more speculative signing than the average McInnes target. The manager has shown he is happy to take chances, but he has also shown he is selective.
The decision to pass on Pepple in the summer, and the reported decision to do so again in January, suggests that McInnes is comfortable with his current options. It also suggests that the club’s recruitment team, which has gone through significant changes over the past year, is operating with a clear sense of priorities.
That clarity is a welcome change. In the recent past, Rangers have been criticised for signing players without a clear plan, only to find themselves with a bloated squad and wage bill. Avoiding a repeat of that, even at the cost of passing on a promising striker, is a sign of progress.
The headline promises to reveal Rangers’ chances of signing a goal machine in January. The answer, according to Football Insider’s sources, is that those chances are slim.
That is not a criticism of Pepple, who has earned his reputation with a prolific scoring record, or of Rangers, who have made a reasonable judgement about their needs. It is simply a reflection of how transfer windows work. Clubs target players when they have a need, and Rangers, at this moment, do not have one.
Their forward line is full. Kelsy is settling in, Naderi and Miovski are contributing, and Shankland and Chermiti are on their way back. The team is winning, the defence is solid and the manager is happy. In those circumstances, adding another striker would be a luxury, not a necessity.
But the story is not over. Pepple will keep scoring, other clubs will keep watching and Rangers will keep monitoring. If circumstances change, the door could reopen. For now, though, the answer from Ibrox appears to be: not this time
