Rangers chairman Dave King believes that Celtic should be further ahead of their Old Firm rivals, and claimed his side would give them a run for the title next season.
Celtic enjoyed huge success last season, securing a memorable treble and remaining unbeaten throughout the entire domestic campaign.
The Hoops finished an astonishing 39 points ahead of Rangers in the league and set a record total of 106 points last season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side also enjoyed fantastic victories in the Old Firm derby last season, beating Rangers by a 5-1 scoreline on two separate occasions in the league.
Celtic also came out on top in both cup competitions as they twice beat Rangers at the semi-final stages.
However, speaking to the Daily Record, King revealed that he was unimpressed with Celtic’s development over the last couple of years and he is adamant that the new signings at Ibrox can help the club mount a serious title challenge next season – a big claim given the gap last season.
“Given that we were in the wilderness for four years, I don’t think that Celtic did as much in that time as they could have done,” he said.
“In footballing terms I don’t think Celtic are as far ahead as they could have been – certainly with our new signings.
“We are clearly behind them squad-wise but I really would expect to give them a run.”
Rangers endured a tough return to the Scottish Premier League last season as they had to settle for a third place finish, nine points behind second-placed Aberdeen.
Manager Pedro Caixinha is looking to turn things around at Ibrox next season and he has already signed seven new players over the summer.
Rangers are looking to secure their first top-flight league title since the 2011-12 season.