Michael Beale admits himself there must be big changes at Rangers in the summer.

The Ibrox boss is set to prioritise the revamping of the Rangers squad in the summer in order to better compete with Celtic.

For ex-Rangers captain Barry Ferguson the glaring issues to resolve come in the goalkeeper and striker positions.

In his Daily Record column, Ferguson called on Beale to make major decisions on the key positions at either end of the park.

Allan McGregor is out of contract in the summer, with Jon McLaughlin tied down for another year.

Ferguson reckons Beale must seriously consider whether he could improve on McGregor in the summer or whether the veteran keeper will go on another year and save extra money for other recruits.

He wrote: "But before he (Beale) rushes into making any big decisions it might be an idea for him to take a deep breath and stop to think things through.

READ MORE: John Lundstram reveals Rangers coping mechanisms after Celtic defeat

"And then ask Allan McGregor to come into his office for a serious conversation. Because when you look at the big picture facing Beale and Rangers this summer, replacing their No.1 keeper doesn’t have to be anywhere near the top of the priority list.

"In fact, I’d go as far as to say, it could end up becoming a very costly mistake for a whole number of reasons.

"First and foremost, the whole point in making changes is surely to improve the quality of the current starting XI. And the more I see of Greegsy in goals this season, the more I worry that any new arrival might end up being a downgrade from what they’ve already got."

There has been some criticism of McGregor in recent seasons, but Ferguson reckons Beale would just be inviting more pressure onto himself if he looks to source a new No1 in the summer and let McGregor go.

"So with Greegsy in his 40s I understand why some fans want to move him on," wrote Ferguson. "But I can’t help but think that by doing so Beale will be giving himself a headache he really doesn’t need right now.

"No. Sit him down and ask him if he’s ready to go again next season. If the answer’s yes pull a contract out of the drawer and get him to sign it on the spot."

Instead of signing a new goalkeeper for a hefty fee, Ferguson would rather see a new star striker walk through the door at Ibrox.

Antonio Colak was signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst last summer and has impressed in spells for Rangers - bur for Ferguson a new No9 should be Beale's priority.

He added: "If money is going to be tight this summer then I’m sure Beale’s biggest priority will be in recruiting a new No.9. If he saves himself cash on a keeper he might be able to buy a striker worth £5m rather than one for £2.5m.

"And then the more money he has to spend on that area of the team better because it’s clear the final third is where the biggest problems lie. "