Glasgow Rangers have proven to be a disruptive presence for one of their title rivals since the end of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership campaign.
After snapping up Lawrence Shankland, who scored 16 goals last season, the Light Blues poached manager Derek McInnes from Hearts and landed Cammy Devlin on a free transfer.
That means that three key figures from the Jam Tarts’ title push last season will be at Ibrox for the new campaign, as the Gers look to end their two-year wait for a trophy.
The worst thing is that the nightmare may not be over for Hearts supporters, as Rangers are said to be rivalling Ipswich for the signing of Claudio Braga.
Where Claudio Braga could fit in at Rangers
Assuming McInnes sticks with a 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2 set-up, Rangers have plenty of options in the Portuguese attacker’s position, including Shankland, Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti, Ryan Naderi, Nedim Bajrami, and Thelo Aasgaard for the striker or second striker roles.
Chermiti, though, is a target for Ligue 1 side Lyon, who have already had a £15m offer turned down, and his exit would open the door for the Hearts star to replace him.
Braga could be a fantastic replacement for the Portugal U21 international because he scored 14 goals and provided three assists for Hearts in the Premiership, whilst Chermiti scored 15 league goals for the Gers.
The 26-year-old attacker also has a proven relationship with Shankland in McInnes’ system, which suggests that the pair will hit the ground running at Ibrox in the league next season.
Therefore, the signing of Braga would make perfect sense for the Scottish giants if they have to cash in on Chermiti before the end of the summer transfer window, as he would be a natural replacement.
|
25/26 Premiership top scorers |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Goals |
|
Tawanda Maswanhise |
17 |
|
Lawrence Shankland |
16 |
|
Benjamin Nygren |
16 |
|
Youssef Chermiti |
15 |
|
Claudio Braga |
14 |
Even if he came in as a direct replacement for Chermiti, though, the arrival of the Hearts star could still cause another player in the squad to be sent packing.
Rangers star could leave if Claudio Braga signs
The Light Blues have an abundance of options at the top end of the pitch and may have to move on from some players even if they do not make any new signings.
Signing Braga, in particular, though, could make the Gers consider cashing in on attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard, because the Portuguese ace can cover both the attacking midfield and centre-forward position.
If he joins as a replacement for Chermiti, the Hearts star would be coming in to cover more roles than his compatriot currently does, as the ex-Everton man is not an attacking midfield option.
That means that Braga would send Aasgaard further down the pecking order as both a number ten in a 4-4-1-1 and as a second striker in a 4-4-2 formation, the two set-ups that McInnes favoured at Tynecastle.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Braga |
Aasgaard |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
38 |
33 |
|
Goals |
14 |
7 |
|
Shots per game |
2.2 |
1.2 |
|
Big chances created |
7 |
5 |
|
xA |
3.48 |
2.45 |
|
Assists |
3 |
4 |
It is fair to say that the Hearts star was more effective than the Norway international was in the Premiership last season, as he produced nine more goals and ‘big chances’ created combined.
Aasgaard, who joined from Luton Town for £3.5m last summer, was unable to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch in his first season at Ibrox, and found himself in-and-out of the starting line-up.
The Liverpool-born forward started 21 of his 33 appearances in the division, and five of his 11 goal contributions came in the final eight league matches of the campaign.
A return of six goals and assists in the first 25 games in the Premiership was less than impressive for a player who was brought in for £3.5m to make an instant impact, and his misery was compounded by a red card against Celtic in the League Cup semi-final early on in Danny Rohl‘s reign.
The arrival of Braga would only send him further down the pecking order, because of the Portuguese star’s ability to play as a number ten, and that could signal the end of the Norwegian’s time at Ibrox.
Football Insider reported earlier this month that Serie A side Atalanta are eyeing up a possible swoop for the 24-year-old attacker, which could provide Rangers with an opportunity to cash in on him after just 12 months in Glasgow.
Therefore, the Light Blues should look to sell Aasgaard if they can agree a deal to bring Braga to Ibrox, but it may be worth keeping him as a number ten option if they do not add to their ranks in that area of the pitch before the end of the window.
