Rangers were reportedly close to signing Kean Bryan from Manchester City before the deal fell apart and now the 21-year-old, who can play in central defence or midfield, has moved elsewhere.
The versatile Englishman has joined Chris Wilder’s promotion push at Sheffield United on a free transfer from the Premier League champions, meaning that Steven Gerrard will have look elsewhere in order to bolster his defence.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of three alternatives the Gers could use to bolster their central defensive options this season…
Jake Cooper – Millwall
The links between Cooper and Rangers have been rumbling on for a while, and although negotiations reportedly stalled in mid-July, missing out on Bryan may force Gerrard to return for the Millwall man.
He did not play a great deal on the Lions’ return to the Championship last season but he is a physical, no-nonsense defender who could potentially marry well with Connor Goldson.
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There is a reason Gerrard has chased him so intently and finally getting his man would surely satisfy the Liverpool icon greatly, as well as convincing the fans he is able to get his top targets over the line.
Martin Skrtel – Fenerbahce
Gerrard has already used his Liverpool connections to snare Ovie Ejaria, Ryan Kent and John Flanagan and those Reds ties would be the main factor in the ambitious swoop to bring Skrtel to Ibrox.
It’s clear that the Slovakian’s best years are behind him but he has the physicality and experience to succeed in Scottish football, providing an old head that Gerrard can trust to manage games and guide the younger players through.
Robert Huth – Free Agent
Huth was let go by Leicester this summer and is yet to find a club as the calendar ticks over into August. Like Skrtel, he is not the player he once was but is savvy and strong enough to offer plenty in Scotland.
His experience would be invaluable, especially of winning a title against all expectations in 2015/16 with the Foxes. The Gers are not facing odds quite that big but harnessing an underdog spirit in a title chase would be handy and Huth knows exactly how to do it.