Sir David Murray, Walter Smith and Martin Bain met yesterday to draw up plans for a frenetic summer of activity on and off the field for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions.

Sir David Murray, Walter Smith and Martin Bain met yesterday to draw up plans for a frenetic summer of activity on and off the field for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions.

The chairman invited the manager and chief executive to his Perthshire home to devise a strategy that will enable the club to strengthen for next season's title defence and Champions League challenge amid a downsizing of personnel.

The Herald understands David Weir, the captain, will be offered a new one-year contract despite suggestions he may wish to return to England to be with his family after two and a half years in Scotland.

While concerns have been expressed within Ibrox over relying on a 39-year-old for another season, the departure of Christian Dailly and Kirk Broadfoot's foot operation - which could rule him out for the start of next season - has left Smith with no dependable cover for Weir and Madjid Bougherra.

Barnsley and Reading have joined Blackpool in trying to sign Charlie Adam but none has come close to matching Rangers' £500,000 valuation.

Bain will now be charged with the task of relocating those identified as surplus to the club's trimmed-down first team pool of 20.

DaMarcus Beasley is believed to be considering options in Holland and back home in the United States after the winger was told he will no longer be part of the plans. He is one of a host of players with a year left on their contracts who are available to leave.

Barry Ferguson's proposed transfer to West Bromwich Albion has been delayed because of Celtic's interest in talking to Tony Mowbray about their managerial vacancy. But the 31-year-old will leave in the summer, to the Coca-Cola Championship or elsewhere after a low-key end to his Rangers career. Steven Smith, Graeme Smith, Andy Webster, Alan Gow and Andrius Velicka will also all be allowed to leave if any suitable offers are forthcoming and Bain will use the extended three-month break to streamline the squad.

Smith has also been assured there will be the facility to strengthen, but not on the scale of previous years. Indeed, depending on the manager's targets, he may have to sell one of his assets to subsidise any heavyweight arrivals.

The prospect of Alex McLeish making a renewed bid for Kris Boyd receded last night when he broke Birmingham City's transfer record to sign the Ecuadorian internationalist, Christian Benitez, from Mexican club Santas Laguna.

Madjid Bougherra, Steven Davis, Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty have all been ring-fenced as the future spine of Smith's team after the manager stressed his intention to stay on for one more season.

Allan McGregor and Pedro Mendes may be available for transfer if the right offer is forthcoming. McGregor has lost his status as first-choice goalkeeper after his part in the Cameron House drinking session with Ferguson while on international duty and continues to enjoy a busy personal life.

Mendes has shone only intermittently since his £2.5m transfer from Portsmouth and, with Kevin Thomson due to return from cruciate ligament surgery in time for next season, Rangers may consider selling the Portuguese midfielder.

Lee McCulloch, meanwhile, has described first-team coach Ian Durrant as the unsung hero of Rangers' double success.

The midfielder, who spent much of the season playing under Durrant for the club's reserve side, said: "Durranty's brilliant and he always wants to help the boys in our team, particularly the younger lads and ones who haven't been here that long.

"He's a great guy to have about and is always there to offer you a wee bit of advice or support.

"Ian's just as important as anyone else in our squad, even if he's there in the background a lot rather than the limelight.

"He doesn't get many headlines or a lot of the plaudits because the focus is rightly on the gaffer, Coisty and Kenny.

"When he talks, all the boys listen to him - and I'm talking about experienced lads such as Davie Weir as well. He's fantastic to have around."