Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been hit with a crushing transfer blow over a player they reportedly want to bring to Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has cast doubt over Rangers’ chance of landing one of their goalkeeper targets this summer as he tips him for a move south of the border.

The Gers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Sam Johnstone on a free transfer at the end of the campaign and the reporter believes that his future lies elsewhere.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If Rangers were to qualify for the Champions League, that’s something Sam Johnstone might take into consideration, but I do think that he will end up moving to a Premier League club when he leaves West Brom this summer.”

Gio will be irate

This update will surely leave van Bronckhorst irate as missing out on Johnstone would be a major blow for the Glasgow giants.

The England international would be a sublime signing for the club in a problem position for the Dutch coach. Allan McGregor has been culpable of a few clangers in the Premiership this season and has cost the team at times with his mistakes between the sticks.

In the Scottish top-flight this term, the 40-year-old has made a whopping three errors directly leading to goals and one error leading to a shot that did not find the back of the net. The veteran is out of contract this summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he will stay on for another year, although his blunders in the league suggest that it is the right time for him to depart.

His exit will leave the number one shirt at Ibrox available and this is where Johnstone could come in. The Englishman caught the eye for the Baggies in the Premier League last season as he averaged a superb SofaSsore rating of 7.03 and did not make a single error leading to a goal.

He is also 11 years younger than McGregor and this means that he would be able to line up between the sticks for the Gers for a number of years to come. His statistics in the English top-flight highlight his quality in goal and this is why he would be an excellent replacement for the Scot next season.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be fuming with O’Rourke’s claim that he looks set for a move to a Premier League club instead of joining the Scottish giants.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: Rangers must brutally axe 26 y/o dud who’s an “all-round shambles”…