RANGERS will be able to land

Matt Crooks and Josh Windass, who agreed four-year deals with the Ibrox club yesterday, for under £40,000 in the summer if they fail to agree a fee with Accrington Stanley during the January transfer window.

Crooks, a holding midfielder, and Windass, who can play in midfield or just off a striker, are out of contract with Accrington at the end of this season.

Accrington are currently in seventh place in League Two and on course to secure a play-off spot so may be reluctant to allow the 21-year-old duo, who have been first-team regulars during the 2015-16 campaign, to leave even if they receive an offer.

Mark Warburton, who has already signed winger Harry Forrester and keeper Maciej Gostomski on short-term deals, is keen to bring in Crooks and Windass this month and increase his side’s prospects of winning promotion to the Premiership this season and a fee of £400,000 has been touted.

However, if the Crown Ground club refuse to sell them this month they will only receive a nominal sum for Windass, around £30,000, and virtually nothing for Crooks, who joined them last February, in training compensation in the summer due to their academy only having category-three status.

When his move to Rangers is completed, either this month or in the closed season, Windass, the son of former Aberdeen player Dean, will find himself playing in front of crowds of up to 50,000 at Ibrox.

It will be a far cry from where he was at just a few years ago - working on a building site and playing part-time football for minnows Harrogate Railway Athletic in front of a couple of hundred people.

However, Billy Miller, the manager who signed him for the Northern Premier League Division One North club after he had been released by Huddersfield Town in 2012, has not been surprised by his progress during the last three-and-a-half years. Miller believes Windass choosing the same route back into the professional game as Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker whose record-breaking scoring streak in the Premier League resulted in him being called up by England this season, has proved beneficial.

Miller has tipped the versatile player to justify the faith which Warburton has shown in him and establish himself as a popular player with the Glasgow club.

“A lot of lads who come out of academies set their sights too high,” said Miller. “They go and play at the top end of the Conference. But these clubs are practically full-time professional outfits and many of the lads struggle. But Josh was prepared to drop down and did really well. He came in, knuckled down and got on with it. He had a brilliant attitude for someone so young. He went to Spain and did his own pre-season training for a fortnight with a friend. He was not there for a lads’ holiday. He was very committed.

“He is a really good kid. He was so focused on becoming a good player. He only trained with us a couple of nights a week but he went away and did a lot of his own training. He had his own fitness programme and went to the gym regularly. He always knew if he got it right he could bounce back.

“He is very creative. He can unpick locks. He is very good technically with the ball at his feet and has got a great turn of pace. I am sure Rangers will get the best out of him. We played him on the wing and he was very productive. But he was outstanding in and around the final third for us. He was superb.

“Josh Windass comes from a good football pedigree. It is in his blood. He got a trial with Accrington and did not look back from there.

“He has taken the same route in the game as Jamie Vardy did. Vardy went and played in Division One South of the Northern Premier League with Stocksbridge Park Steels after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.

“Josh went and played in Division One North of the Northern Premier League with Harrogate Railway Athletic after being released by Huddersfield. Both players flourished and rebuilt their career. This level of the game is taken very seriously. These are not meaningless games. Jobs are still at stake. Points are at risk.”

It will be a huge leap for Crooks and Windass to go from playing with Accrington Stanley in the fourth tier of English football in front of crowds of just a few thousand to playing with Rangers every week.

The latter’s former manager, though, is confident Windass will flourish at Rangers.

“He will thrive in the environment up there,” said Miller. “He will love it. He will not be fazed by it. Nothing worries him too much. He had a happy-go-lucky approach to everything that he did. The fans will like him. He is one of those players who creates a buzz when he gets on the ball.”

Meanwhile, Cowdenbeath – Rangers’ opponents this weekend – have re-signed goalkeeper Grant Adam from Morton.

Adam, brother of Stoke City midfielder Charlie and a former Murray Park apprentice, is in line to start against his former club in

Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie.

Rangers, meanwhile, have confirmed they have extended the loan deal for Gedion Zelalem with Arsenal until the end of the season.

Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, revealed last month an agreement had been reached with the 18-year-old's English club to keep him until the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

The Ibrox club released a statement on their website yesterday saying the United States Under-23 internationalist would be remaining in Glasgow for the remainder of this term.

The skilful player has made 15 appearances for the Championship leaders since moving to Scotland, usually alongside Jason Holt in the centre of midfield.

Zelalem is highly rated by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side is currently leading the Premier League down south, and the Frenchman has predicted great things for him in the future.

An injury meant the midfielder missed the defeat to Falkirk away and the win over Hibs at home in the second tier last month.

However, he came on as a substitute in his side's 6-0 victory over Dumbarton away from home on Saturday.

The teenager has also played for the U.S. Olympic squad this season as they have prepared for the Olympic Games in Rio in the summer.