Rangers supporters have overwhelmingly urged manager Derek McInnes to launch a summer raid on Hearts as updates confirm Claudio Braga is increasingly close to a permanent transfer.
The 26-year-old Portuguese frontman was the undisputed revelation of the Scottish football calendar last term.
Plucked from Norwegian outfit Aalesunds for a modest £400,000, Braga took the country by storm, racking up 17 goals and six assists in 44 matches.
His talismanic performances earned him a clean sweep of individual honours, including the PFA Scotland Premiership player of the year award.
However, the latest information emerging directly from the European football landscape reveals that the forward’s sensational stay in Edinburgh is rapidly drawing to its conclusion.
With continental interest expanding exponentially, it has sparked an urgent debate across the Ibrox fanbase.
Who would you like Rangers to sign if Youssef Chermiti is sold?
Lyon are lining up £17m for the Portuguese striker…
Claudio Braga ‘close to leave’ Hearts
According to Portuguese sports newspaper Record, Braga is ‘increasingly close to leaving’ Hearts ahead of the 2026-27 season, with his stellar displays making a summer exit all but certain.
French heavyweights Lyon – managed by Paulo Fonseca – have long held concrete interest, but the race has now exploded.
Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town and Turkish outfit Trabzonspor have both entered the frame with significant intent to secure his signature.
Jamestown Analytics have slapped an £8m to £10m valuation on the forward. New Tynecastle boss Wouter Vrancken has already realistically admitted that the club’s business model means preparing for life after their prized asset.
A sale in that bracket would instantly shatter the club’s all-time departure – the £9m fee received from Sunderland for Craig Gordon back in 2007.
Rangers fans issue clear McInnes mandate
While there is confirmation that a Tynecastle exit is looming large, the Rangers faithful have wasted no time making their thoughts known to the Ibrox board.
In a recent interactive poll conducted by Rangers News via our TalkingPoints platform, supporters were asked which standout asset McInnes should look to prize away from Hearts to kickstart his rebuilding project.
Which Hearts player(s) would you like to see at Rangers next season?
Derek McInnes may be tempted to sign one or two this summer!
The response was an absolute landslide. Out of 921 votes cast by Light Blues fans at the time of writing, an overwhelming 627 voters (68 per cent) selected Braga as the must-have signing of the summer window.
With Lawrence Shankland having already completed his switch earlier in the window, the prospect of reuniting him with Braga under McInnes has sent fan expectations through the roof.
While Braga has noted that he remains focused on competing in the UEFA Champions League with Hearts, it is evident that his representatives are handling an escalating market.
If the PFA player of the year is genuinely on the verge of walking out the door in Edinburgh, McInnes and Andrew Cavenagh have been presented with the ultimate opportunity to test Hearts’ resolve with a statement domestic hijack.
