Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson had admitted the club are on the hunt for the best Scottish talent just as links to Hibs defender Ryan Porteous continue to intensify at Ibrox.
Rangers fans – and plenty in the Ibrox team – haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye with Ryan Porteous in the past so you’ll forgive almost everyone, ourselves included, of being sceptical regarding any links.
But that hasn’t stopped the conversation raging around the Scotland international defender, who at 23 represents an interesting option for plenty of clubs across the UK.
Hibs have already announced that the player will leave the club at the end of his current contract come the end of the season meaning clubs can pick the controversial centre-back up for free.
Rangers aren’t the only ones linked to Ryan Porteous either; Old Firm rivals Celtic have been routinely mentioned whilst English Championship side Stoke City are another reportedly prominent suitor.
The defender’s previous clashes with Rangers, against whom he has been regularly red-carded and given cheeky soundbites, means a move to Ibrox looks unlikely from the outside.
But according to prominent pundit and Clyde manager Jim Duffy, the Gers are interested and, it seems, so is the Hibs defender.
“Not to throw cold water on Davie’s suggestion (Porteous joining Celtic) because I agree with it, but I have heard that there is a little bit of a suggestion that he may be going across the road to their greatest rivals,” Duffy told Clyde One Superscoreboard on Monday 5th December.
“So, I have heard that, whether there’s that much in it but that’s something that’s in the air on the football grapevine should we say.”
Rangers remain tight-lipped on links to Hibs’ Ryan Porteous
So whilst Rangers fans might have initially guffawed at the Ryan Porteous suggestion, ourselves included, it all sounds very interesting.
Then there are two hints coming out of Ibrox this week, firstly at the club’s AGM.
Sporting director Ross Wilson claimed – whilst responding to questions regarding the signing of the perennially injured John Souttar – that the Ibrox club need Scottish players.
“We went into the Soutter signing with our eyes open, we believe he will contribute,” said Wilson.
“Not every player needs to play 60 matches a season but we need Scottish players.”
Why? For the European squad quota which dictates that clubs need at least four homegrown players (players trained at the club for three years before turning 21) and four Scottish-based players (players trained at a Scottish club for three years before turning 21) in their squads.
Rangers also dropped another transfer clue of potential interest when they reportedly responded to Ibrox fan media regarding links to Ahmed Kendouci.
The Gers had been linked in the Scottish and Algerian press but the story was put down as a non-starter by the likes of Heart & Hand earlier this week.
It leaves fans asking, if Rangers can do it for Kendouci, why can’t they rubbish the links to Ryan Porteous?
Meanwhile, one Rangers star is being linked as a replacement for an Ibrox-linked midfielder who broke records this week.
