Pedro Caixinha insists Rangers will provide a credible title challenge to Celtic next season.
The Ibrox boss revealed a summer revamp of his squad is already well underway and cash has been pledged for new players.
Despite currently trailing the Hoops by a 36-point margin, the 46-year-old was bullish in his belief time is on his side to shatter Celtic’s 10-in-a-row target.
He said: “How many years have Celtic still to go? Well, we still have four years, right? We can compete and to compete at this club is to compete to win.
“We hope next year that we can do it but it’s not a question of trying to stop Celtic. For us, it’s about getting that mentality and desire and that will to win and I am happy for us to be compared against Celtic.
“We can challenge Celtic next season, if we bring in these players.
“I’m not going to say the things that the fans want to hear, I only say things that I feel and that I’m confident about saying. I want to be realistic, if we get in the right core of players then things will be different.”
Caixinha, who was linked in the Mexican media with two players from former club Santos Laguna - right back Jose Abella and central defender and captain Carlos Izquierdoz - confirmed he met Light Blues chairman Dave King last week and has no doubt about his ability to take Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.
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He said: “I’m being supported 100 per cent, we are in contact all the time.
“We’re doing the things in order to get the core of the players playing that I presented and we have been doing things for almost the past month.
“We’re discussing what’s happening on a daily basis with regard to the future. It’s about bringing in players at international level, with international experience.
“Players that this club is used to having in the recent past, that is what we are bringing next season.
“We also have Scottish players in our core, if they are coming for the first time then they don’t know what Rangers is about.
“It’s about producing a core list to the board and saying that this is going to be my core team.
“Everything will move around that. Everything is organised according to the realistic situation at the club. I know how far I can go and that’s what I’m doing.
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“It’s got nothing to do with numbers and I’m not going to tell you. I don’t care if it’s less or more than my predecessor. Next season will be different, it’s not about names or players.”
Rangers look set to be without Emerson Hyndman for the rest of the season after he picked up a foot injury in training.
The Bournemouth loanee could have played his last game for the club and will miss tomorrow’s clash at Partick Thistle.