Rangers are engaged in ongoing negotiations with RB Salzburg over the potential departure of head coach Danny Röhl, with Hearts manager Derek McInnes emerging as a leading candidate to succeed him at Ibrox should a deal be reached.
Sky Sports News understands that Röhl's exit will only be sanctioned if Salzburg meet the Scottish club's compensation demands. The 37-year-old has two years remaining on his contract, having joined Rangers last October.
McInnes and other names in the frame
McInnes, who guided Hearts to second place in his debut season at Tynecastle — missing the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic only on the final day — is understood to be among the candidates Rangers have identified should they lose their current coach.
Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat had both impressed the Ibrox hierarchy during discussions held last October, before Röhl was ultimately appointed. Gerrard, of course, delivered Rangers' historic title triumph during his three seasons in charge before departing for Aston Villa in 2021. Muscat, meanwhile, has won back-to-back Chinese Super League titles with Shanghai Port, adding to earlier successes in Japan and Australia.
Röhl's background and Rangers tenure
Röhl built his reputation as an assistant coach at RB Leipzig, Southampton, and Bayern Munich, where he played a role in the club's Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League double in 2020 under Hansi Flick. He then took his first managerial role at Sheffield Wednesday in October 2023, steering them clear of Championship relegation before finishing 12th in his second campaign.
At Ibrox, he inherited a side sitting sixth in the league and led Rangers into contention for the title, though they ultimately finished third last season. Rangers were also eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the Scottish Cup and the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Röhl had publicly expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming season and a desire to build on the lessons of his first seven months in the job. Rangers players are due to return for pre-season testing next week.
Summer rebuild already underway
Regardless of the managerial situation, Rangers have pressed ahead with a significant off-field restructure. New CEO Jim Gillespie, executive director Fraser Thornton, technical director Dan Purdy, and consultant Stig Inge Bjørnebye are working alongside the coaching staff on squad additions.
Lawrence Shankland became the club's first confirmed summer signing, arriving from Hearts on a two-year deal with an option for a further 12 months. The Scotland international moved to Ibrox for free after a release clause in his Tynecastle contract was triggered, having netted 20 goals across all competitions last season.
