All eyes will be on Lawrence Shankland’s arrival at Ibrox, though new manager Derek McInnes may well prioritize shoring up his backline instead.
Under interim boss Danny Rohl, Rangers conceded at least twice in each of their final seven Premiership matches—a dismal run that effectively ended their title challenge.
Major changes are underway in defense this summer. James Tavernier headlines an expected exodus, while loanees Derek Cornelius, Nasser Djiga, Max Aarons, and Jayden Meghoma are all set to return to their parent clubs. Meanwhile, speculation swirls over a potential record sale for Emmanuel Fernandez.
That leaves McInnes with a threadbare squad, though efforts to reshape the roster are reportedly accelerating.
McInnes closing in on first Ibrox signing
McInnes has followed Shankland through the doors in Glasgow, but fans are still waiting to learn who will officially be his first recruit.
One long-standing target is Dundee’s Luke Graham. The 22-year-old left-footer, fresh from another strong season under Steven Pressley, has just one year left on his deal and is attracting interest from Portsmouth as well as Rangers.
A similar situation surrounds Ross McCrorie. Football Insider reports the Old Firm giants lead the chase for the Bristol City star, who—like Graham—enters the final year of his contract. Despite English suitors, Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to bring the two-cap Scotland international back to Ibrox, with talks advanced and a move expected “in the coming weeks.”
Why McCrorie could spell the end for Sterling
It’s shaping up as a summer of reunions: McInnes with Shankland, Vaclav Cerny potentially returning, and now McCrorie—an academy product who left for Aberdeen in 2021 after several loans. McCrorie previously played under McInnes at Pittodrie, notching 30 appearances, two goals, and three assists.
Across his spells with both Rangers and Aberdeen, the versatile 28-year-old has made 170 senior appearances, scoring ten and assisting seven while filling numerous roles.
That flexibility could make him invaluable to McInnes—potentially overtaking Dujon Sterling as the squad’s utility man. Sterling, too, has covered both full-back positions, centre-back, and defensive midfield over three injury-hit years at Ibrox.
Both players excel at right-back, where Sterling actually got the nod over Tavernier in key games last season (including a 4-2 win over Hearts). But with defensive options scarce, Sterling might still have a role—yet McCrorie could threaten that, especially given Sterling’s fitness struggles.
In 2025/26, Sterling managed just 17 appearances across all competitions (only 13 starts), hardly proving reliable. McCrorie, by contrast, enjoyed a fine campaign at Bristol City, contributing nine goals and assists in the Championship while playing as a full-back or wing-back.
His attacking output dwarfs Sterling’s: McCrorie created eight “big chances” and averaged 0.8 key passes per game in England’s second tier, versus Sterling’s single “big chance” and 0.4 key passes per game in the Premiership.
Defensively, McCrorie also comes out ahead, averaging more tackles and interceptions per game (2.4 vs 2.0).
With Sterling’s own contract expiring next summer, Rangers may sense an opportunity to cash in after three injury-disrupted years—and McCrorie looks like a clear upgrade.
