McInnes driving deal to seal Rangers’ best signing since Moore

Derek McInnes looks the part already as Glasgow Rangers boss, but now it’s down to business – can the Ibrox side hand him a squad capable of challenging again this season?

The 54-year-old did outline that he will have the final say when it comes to incomings this summer, having made no secret of the fact that last year wasn’t a success in that regard for the Glasgow side.

Transfer success stories can almost be counted on one hand over recent years, with young Mikey Moore one of the few to really exceed expectations last term following his loan arrival from Tottenham Hotspur.

Whether the teenager returns this summer remains to be seen, although it is that kind of quality that the Gers need to be targeting.

McInnes driving next Rangers deal after McCrorie

Andrew Cavenagh promised that there would be a different approach in the market, amid the shift toward a pro-Scottish or pro-Premiership bias when it comes to targets, with the Old Firm outfit already delivering on that front.

Ex-Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland kicked things off following his swift arrival from Tynecastle, while McInnes has also secured another reunion, as Ross McCrorie sealed his Ibrox return.

The 28-year-old – who played under the new Gers boss at Aberdeen – leaves Bristol City behind having had just a year left to run on his existing deal, thus now taking James Tavernier’s number two shirt in Glasgow.

McInnes could also have a significant say in a more marquee move too, with TEAMtalk offering the latest on Rangers’ interest in bringing Lewis Ferguson back to Scotland.

As per the report, the Bologna man would be open to a conversation regarding a move to Ibrox, although it remains to be seen if the Serie A side would sanction a sale, despite their own interest in Nicolas Raskin.

Whether Ferguson heads in the opposite direction remains to be seen, although McInnes is said to be ‘very keen on a reunion’, having also managed the 26-year-old at Pittodrie.

Why Ferguson could be Rangers’ best signing since Moore

As already stated, last term wasn’t a roaring success in terms of recruitment, with just a handful of arrivals really making their mark over a sustained period.

Gers’ Player of the Year, Emmanuel Fernandez, was one of them, although the aforementioned Moore was undoubtedly the cream of the crop, having rightly claimed the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award for his fine form under Danny Rohl.

The 18-year-old overcame a slow start to score seven times in the Premiership, two of which came in separate meetings at Celtic Park, having put many of his more senior colleagues to shame in 2026.

He’s a sparkling talent, although so too is Ferguson, with the Scotland star having been such a hit both in Serie A and in the Premiership across his career to date.

Released from Rangers as a youngster, the midfielder made his way to Aberdeen via a brief stint at Hamilton, going on to rack up 169 games for the Dons, while scoring and assisting 60 goals.

42 of those goal involvements came in 115 games under McInnes’ watch, with Ferguson swiftly assuming talismanic status at the club despite his relative youth.

It’s been a similar story in Bologna too, even while only scoring and assisting 21 goals in 115 games, with the all-action star even captaining his side to Coppa Italia glory in 2025.

He was named Serie A midfielder of the year for 2023/24 too, hailed by Rome-based journalist Alasdair Mackenzie as “one of the biggest sensations of the biggest sensation in Serie A” that season.

In the view of Mackenzie too, Ferguson is the “all-round package”, having operated as a number ten most often for his club, yet while dropping into a deeper role to replace the injured Billy Gilmour for his country.

It’s no secret that it hasn’t been a smooth ride for Steve Clarke’s men in the United States, yet Ferguson has been one of the shining lights, dubbed Scotland’s ‘most influential player‘ by BBC Sport’s Scott Mullen.

Bringing in that calibre of player really could be a difference-maker for McInnes and co, with Rangers having reaped the rewards of signing pure quality from an elite club in the form of Moore last year.

Getting Ferguson in the door – just like potentially trying to sign Moore permanently – won’t be an easy task, yet if Raskin is to be on his way, this feels like something of a no-brainer.