Angus Gunn has entered the conversation around the Rangers goalkeeping situation this summer amid uncertainty regarding Jack Butland.
Butland’s future at Ibrox remains uncertain heading into the new season, with questions over whether the experienced stopper represents the long-term solution between the posts for Danny Rohl’s side.
Rangers have already been linked with alternatives. Anthony Patterson at Sunderland has attracted interest, although an £8million price tag is proving prohibitive.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Pierce Charles has emerged as another name under consideration, only for a potential fee of up to £10m to raise similar financial concerns.
With those pursuits complicated by cost, a new and altogether different option has now been floated in the shape of Gunn, who would align neatly with Andrew Cavenagh‘s pro-Scottish recruitment policy.
How much can Rangers expect from Jack Butland’s sale?
He is now in the final year of his contract…
Keith Jackson floats Angus Gunn as Rangers consider goalkeeping options
Keith Jackson has raised the prospect of Scotland international Gunn emerging as a potential target for Rangers, framing it as a possibility worth considering given the uncertainty around Butland and the club’s stated desire to build a more Scottish identity.
Jackson’s reason was straightforward – a goalkeeper of Gunn’s ambition and international standing would have every reason to consider a move to Ibrox, given the platform it would provide to remain Scotland’s first choice beyond the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Norwich shot-stopper is set to be available on a free transfer this summer, as his contract with Nottingham Forest expires at the end of the month.
The journalist was careful to stress the idea was speculation and not sourced, but his logic is hard to argue with, and the suggestion will resonate with supporters who have long wanted a top Scottish goalkeeper back at the club.
Speaking on the Daily Record’s Hotline Live, he said: “If you’re Angus Gunn and you’ve obviously got that target of making yourself make sure that you remain the Scotland number one, you think about Rangers just now.
“There are doubts over Jack Butland’s future, whether or not he’s the best solution in that position.
“In any case, if you are Angus Gunn, you could do a lot worse than thinking that if there was a deal to be done there, if Butland was to move on, Rangers might say, ‘Well, we want this new Scottish identity’.
“I know he’s Scottish with an English accent, ain’t he? But he’s part of the national team. I wonder; just floating that out there, based upon nothing, it might make a bit of sense.”
Rangers want to sign Pierce Charles…
What does this mean for Jack Butland? 🤔
Why Gunn would not be ideal number one
There is a compelling case for Gunn at Rangers, but it is worth being clear about what role he should fill.
At 30, Gunn is an experienced international who has fought hard to establish himself as a key member of the Scotland squad.
The idea of him arriving as an automatic starter at Ibrox is understandable, but the Gers may actually be better served by signing him as a high-quality competition and not a guaranteed number one.
Rohl needs depth and genuine competition for places throughout his squad, and having two capable goalkeepers pushing each other week to week would be far healthier than the situation that developed last season, when Butland’s position was rarely seriously challenged.
