Rangers could see bid accepted for £12m star

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed the appointment of Derek McInnes as their new head coach earlier this week, after Danny Rohl completed a move away from Ibrox.

The German boss will be the new manager of RB Salzburg in Austria, after less than one year in Glasgow, and he was immediately replaced with the Scottish tactician.

Rangers are wasting no time in the off-season after they finished third in the Scottish Premiership in the 2025/26 campaign, signing Lawrence Shankland and appointing McInnes.

One big job that the club still have to do, however, is to replace James Tavernier, both in terms of signing a new right-back and finding the next captain of the team.

On the right-back front, the Gers have been linked with an interest in bringing Scotland international Nathan Patterson back to Ibrox from Everton for a second spell.

Rangers told potential asking price for World Cup star

Signing a right-back is only step one on the way to replacing Tavernier, though, because they also need to find a new captain, whether that is by signing one or finding a current player to step up.

Now, the Light Blues have been told how much it could cost to sign a star who could arrive at Ibrox as the dream replacement for the veteran full-back as the next captain.

Speaking on the Daily Record‘s Hotline Live, journalist Keith Jackson has suggested that a bid of £12m could be enough for Rangers to see an offer accepted for Bologna star Lewis Ferguson.

Former Gers winger Jamie Murphy claims that the Scotland international would be a “perfect” signing for McInnes, who worked with him at Aberdeen, but it will not be a cheap deal to complete.

Jackson said: “Ferguson, [Bologna] were getting mega offers. His value has come down because he’s not getting a game. The absolute best price you could get, and you’d be doing really well, would be £12million.”

It remains to be seen if this link is more than hopeful speculation on their part or if £12m is a fee that they would be willing to pay, but the midfield star would be a terrific addition to the squad if they can get a deal over the line in the coming weeks.

Why Lewis Ferguson can be the next Rangers captain

When looking at what boxes need to be ticked to be the next captain for Rangers after Tavernier, Ferguson stands out as a strong candidate to take the armband if he signs.

He has worn the armband for Bologna in three of his four seasons in Italy, which is an achievement for a Scottish player going abroad to a new league and a new language. That speaks to his leadership credentials.

The 26-year-old star has also shown that he can handle pressure on the biggest stages, as evidenced by his performance against Haiti at the World Cup recently, which suggests that he would be able to deal with the pressure of playing at Ibrox.

He caught the eye on his World Cup debut earlier this month, only giving possession away seven times in 90 minutes as a central midfield player, and was dominant in his defensive duels.

His performance should not have come as much of a surprise, though, because he has already proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues, scoring 15 goals in 106 matches for Bologna in the Italian top-flight since moving from Aberdeen in 2022.

Ferguson’s obvious experience in Scotland is another reason why he would be the ideal man to step in as captain at Ibrox, as he has played 145 Premiership matches in his career and would not need any time to adapt to the demands of the country and league.

On top of that, the Bologna star is a Rangers supporter, thanks to his father and uncle both playing for the club, and knows what it takes to succeed at Ibrox and the expectations that the fans put on the players, because he has been a supporter himself.

Therefore, the Light Blues, even if they are not interested at this moment in time, should make a move to reunite McInnes with Ferguson in the summer, because he would be the perfect replacement for Tavernier to captain the team next season and beyond.