MARK Warburton will look to strengthen his Rangers squad with another defender and striker before the close of the transfer window next month even if Joe Dodoo completes his move to Ibrox in the coming days.

Dodoo, the 21-year-old who scored a hat-trick on his debut for English champions Leicester City last season, has impressed Warburton greatly during training at Auchenhowie this week.

The Englishman, who has brought in no fewer than eight new players this summer, is keen to make the Ghana-born forward his latest permanent acquisition and negotiations are currently ongoing.

The former England youth internationalist’s contract at the King Power Stadium has expired and he will only cost the Ladbrokes Championship winners a nominal fee due to cross-border transfer rules.

However, Warburton, whose side take on Motherwell in the Betfred Cup at Fir Park this afternoon in their first competitive match of the 2016/17 campaign, still feels that he will require an additional two players if he secures Dodoo.

Asked what players he would be looking to bring in, he said: “Maybe another defender, maybe another forward as well. We need two more just to make sure we have enough strength in depth. I would like another defender if the right one becomes available.

“We lost eight players and we have brought in eight so we are like for like with last season. So the one or two more coming in that we are speaking about will give us more depth to deal with the greater level of challenge this season.”

Warburton added: “We are trying to get it (the Dodoo deal) completed, but nothing is finalised yet. But he came in, we were very happy with him, we know the player well. Hopefully we can get that one over the line.

“You have to go through the process. You have to get the paperwork completed. But I would like to think that by early next week both clubs will have sorted it and we will be in a good place.”

Warburton only has Ryan Hardie, Kenny Miller and Martyn Waghorn available to him up front and believes Dodoo, who scored for Leicester in the Capital One Cup against both Bury and West Ham last term, would strengthen his options in the final third.

“Joe is a mobile striker, he is a technical striker, he is one of those players who can pull something out of the hat,” he said. “He can look quiet and quite subdued and then he can beat a couple of players, drop a shoulder and curl it in the top corner. He has got that about him.

“He is a good personality, a good athlete, a good runner, a good shape. He has Nathan Oduwa-type shape physically. It will be a good addition for us if we can get that one over the line. We think he is a real prospect. We like him.

“I watched him at Leicester. My son was there for a while. I know the staff at Leicester. I have been to see games at Leicester as have Frank (head of recruitment McParland) and David (assistant manager Weir). We know of him. We have seen a lot of strikers, but he is certainly one who has caught our eye.

“He is another young striker with a big career ahead of him. But, as I say, hopefully everything goes the right way and we can get it to completion. It will be a permanent move if we can get it done.”

Meanwhile, Warburton expressed hope that Rob Kiernan, the centre half who has a year left on his contract with Rangers, will agree to extend his stay in Glasgow after opening talks with officials at the Ibrox club.

“He has done very well for us,” he said. “Knowing him he likes to be settled and he absolutely deserves it. We want him here. He’s very happy at the club, he enjoys living in Glasgow, he enjoys playing for Rangers and in front of the fans. I don’t see any problems.”

The 53-year-old was irked last week by reports that talks between Rangers and James Tavernier and Waghorn, who both have two seasons left to run on their current deals, had broken down.

He is confident that both men, who scored 43 goals between them in the 2015/16 season as his side won the Ladbrokes Championship and Petrofac Training Cup, will agree to improved terms. However, he admitted they could be lured away if clubs down south

“Tavernier and Waghorn are also talking,” he said. “Agents will talk to clubs because they are coming off the back of a good season and there will be interested parties down south.

“That’s life. If a club in the English Championship offers a player on £5,000 a week £14,000 a week it’s a dilemma. We have to hope that they commit. We can’t match the wages down south and we don’t want to match it either.”