Rangers in talks to sign £6m star for McInnes

There does appear to have been a real shift in thinking at Glasgow Rangers, with the Ibrox side, now led by Derek McInnes, seemingly pursuing a new transfer model this summer.

As recently as January, the priority appeared to be signing young, relatively unknown talents from abroad, with Ryan Naderi, Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani all arriving under Danny Rohl’s watch.

That desire to land players with potential resale value still remains, although the Gers do now appear intent on acquiring an experienced Scottish core in Glasgow, pursuing targets who have already been there and done it in the Premiership.

The most notable of those, of course, is Lawrence Shankland, yet McInnes could be in line for another reunion this summer, amid the Gers’ interest in a certain Ross McCrorie.

Rangers have opened talks to sign £6m defender alongside McCrorie

Vaclav Cerny appears in line for an Ibrox return, and so too could McCrorie, the 28-year-old nearing a Rangers homecoming five years on from his permanent move to Aberdeen.

The versatile defender – who played under McInnes at Pittodrie – appears to be closing in on a move back to Glasgow, with a deal there to be done with just a year left on his current contract at Bristol City.

The expectation is that he could well be the first signing of the new McInnes era, although work continues on other moves, too, by all accounts.

Indeed, as per reports on the continent, Rangers are among a raft of clubs in the mix for Swedish defender, Zinedine Smajlovic, albeit with rivals Celtic said to be ramping up their pursuit of the 22-year-old.

The Parkhead side have lodged an improved bid totalling around €6.5m (£6m), yet they are set to face intense competition for his signature.

Rangers are just one of many keeping tabs on the Sandefjord centre-back, with the report suggesting that McInnes and co have held talks of their own, after lodging an enquiry.

Why Smajlovic could be a better signing than McCrorie

It’s an era dominated by youth-centric transfer policies, with clubs lasering in on potential stars of the future, all while at times overlooking the primary objective of football – winning games now.

There does seem to be some understanding of that at Ibrox, hence the shift toward more ready-made, experienced additions, such as both Shankland and McCrorie.

There is wisdom in those deals, with both men knowing what it takes to shine in the Premiership, McCrorie having made 170 appearances in total across his time with the Gers and the Dons.

The two-cap Scotland international is also a man in form too following a solid campaign in the EFL Championship, having scored and assisted nine goals while operating as a wing-back or centre-back.

He’s a steady, versatile asset who can fulfil a number of roles at Ibrox next season, an astute signing even if there isn’t to be any hope of selling him on for profit later down the line.

If seeking a potentially more exciting, high-potential addition, however, than Smajlovic could well be the man, the in-demand youngster looking like a force to be reckoned with in the centre of defence.

A towering, eye-catching figure at 6 foot 3, there is almost a young Virgil van Dijk feel to his game, so willing and able to carry the ball out from defence, while proving something of a monster in both boxes.

In a career that has largely seen him operate in Scandinavia, aside from a brief stint with Lecce in Italy, Smajlovic has been remarkably effective in front of goal, scoring ten times across just 62 senior games in all competitions.

That is a fine return for any centre-back, actually matching McCrorie’s record of just ten goals across those 170 games at Pittodrie and Ibrox.

A powerhouse of a talent, the £6m-rated man does have that knack for being able to glide forward from the backline, averaging a stellar 1.3 successful dribbles per game in Norway’s top-flight this season.

For comparison, current Gers star Emmanuel Fernandez averaged just 0.4 in that regard in the Premiership, while back in England, even McCrorie was less adept at full-back, with just 0.6 successful dribbles completed.

Most importantly too, Smajlovic does also offer a the benefit of his defensive acumen, boasting 3.3 tackles and interceptions won per game, having also averaged 8.2 ball recoveries.

In McCrorie’s case, he averaged just 2.4 and 3.0 for those same two metrics, respectively.

He’s an aggressive, front-foot defender who looks to be involved both in and out of possession, a player who could seemingly emerge as a real star in Scottish football.

Rangers may well know what they’re getting with regard to McCrorie and co, although the exciting part with regard to young Smajlovic is that his potential is truly sky-high.