After Shankland: Rangers could see bid accepted to sign their new Barry Ferguson

The story that has dominated Scottish football in the past 48 hours is the news that Glasgow Rangers are set to sign Lawrence Shankland on a free transfer.

Due to a clause in last summer’s contract extension with Hearts, the Scotland international is poised to leave his club for free despite signing a three-year deal.

Shankland is now on the verge of sealing a two-year contract at Ibrox and is reportedly expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday before the rest of the formalities are completed.

The Jam Tarts captain scored 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season and could be a fantastic addition to Danny Rohl‘s side as a proven scorer in Scotland.

Rangers are looking to build a team that can compete for the title next term, and signing Shankland could be the first step towards creating the Scottish spine that is needed.

Rangers could see bid accepted for Premiership star

Previous title-winning Rangers teams have had a strong spine of Scottish players, going back to the likes of Allan McGregor, Ryan Jack, Kris Boyd, Barry Ferguson, and Steven Naismith.

The club’s most successful teams had a core of domestic talent, yet the current squad, prior to Shankland’s arrival, arguably does not have a Scottish player in the best XI.

According to Football Insider, though, Glasgow Rangers are looking to change that by pursuing a deal to sign Dundee star Luke Graham in the summer transfer window.

After a deal for Shankland is completed this week, the Light Blues want to raid another one of their Premiership rivals to bring the central defender to Ibrox in the coming weeks.

The report claims that there is ‘belief’ that the right offer will be accepted by Dundee, which means that the Gers could see a bid accepted for the centre-back if they stump up enough cash.

However, Football Insider adds that English Championship side Portsmouth are also keen on Graham, after attempting to snap him up in the January transfer window, and that Rangers will need to outbid them if they want to secure his services.

How Luke Graham can be Rangers’ next Barry Ferguson

The aforementioned Ferguson, who had a spell in the dugout last season, made 424 appearances across two spells at Ibrox and won five Premiership titles, captaining the side several times.

Graham did not sport the armband for Dundee in the 2025/26 campaign, but his performances in the Premiership show that he has the makings of being a defensive leader.

Despite being a 22-year-old in his first full season in the top-flight, the Scottish youngster produced dominant performances at the back for his side, dominating opposition attackers in duels on the deck and in the air.

Graham is a phenomenal duel winner, winning more than any Rangers player did in the league, and could lead by example for Rohl as an impressively strong central defender, who still has the potential to improve.

He could be the next Ferguson at Ibrox by being a consistent presence in the spine of the team, helping the Gers to win titles with his quality and leadership, whilst being at the right age to potentially go on and play hundreds of times for the club.

The biggest challenge for the Light Blues could be convincing the centre-back to make a move to Ibrox ahead of chasing a dream of playing in the Premier League, according to his manager Steven Pressley.

What Rangers could do, though, is convince Graham that playing week-in-week-out at Ibrox in a title race and in European competitions could boost his profile and provide him with the platform to show what he can do to Premier League teams.

The likes of Nathan Patterson, Joe Aribo, and Calvin Bassey are recent examples of players who have eventually moved to the Premier League after impressing at Rangers, albeit Bassey went to Ajax before his move to Fulham.

It is now down to Rohl and the board to get a deal done with Dundee and convince Graham to make the move, because he could be the club’s next Ferguson as a Scottish star and leader who can help them to get back to winning trophies.