Rangers: Derek McInnes emerging as main candidate for manager's job

Derek McInnes has been in charge of Aberdeen since 2013

Rangers will make moves this week to replace the sacked Pedro Caixinha, with Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes the favourite to become his successor.

McInnes, 46, is contracted at Aberdeen until 2020 but BBC Scotland has learned he is quickly emerging as the preferred candidate.

Money is available if needed to buy out the contract of a manager in a job.

Moves will be made this week to find out just exactly how much it would take to land the former Rangers player.

On Saturday, under interim boss Graeme Murty, Rangers beat Hearts 3-1 at Murrayfield before Aberdeen beat Ross County.

McInnes, who played down being linked with Rangers on Friday, attracted interest from Sunderland in the summer before agreeing a new contract with the Dons.

The former Scotland, Dundee United and West Brom midfielder has led Aberdeen to three successive second-placed finishes in the Premiership and also won the 2014 Scottish League Cup with the Dons, having earlier managed St Johnstone and Bristol City.

Last season, McInnes' Dons finished nine points in front of a Rangers side managed initially by Mark Warburton and latterly by Caixinha.

After seeing his side fight back to County on Saturday, McInnes once again played down the link to Ibrox.

"My focus is just on today's game," he told BBC Scotland. "I've had to deal with speculation and it hasn't come to anything in the past. I don't want to comment too much.

"My players and my staff's focus was clear today in terms of trying to win the game.

"I would rather talk about the great response we got after the other night [losing 3-0 to Celtic]."

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish has also been linked with the vacancy, though he says he has not applied for the job.