Wycombe Wanderers are in talks with midfielder Alex Lowry about a permanent move from Rangers. (Herald - subscription), external
Lowry, 21, is close to completing a move to Wycombe. (Football Insider), external
Reported Rangers target Marko Soldo, 21, of NK Osijek, is linked with a summer return to Dinamo Zagreb. (Record), external
Image source, SNSConnor Barron is relishing a "dream" encounter against Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday, but insists there is no fear factor going into the game.
United manager Ruben Amorim said this is "maybe the worst Manchester United side in history" after their 3-1 Premier League defeat by Brighton on Sunday, but the Red Devils are seventh in the Europa League table, one ahead of Rangers in eighth.
Rangers go into the game off the back of a 5-0 Scottish Cup win against Fraserburgh, and are well placed to progress in Europe after taking 11 points from their first six league-stage matches.
"There shouldn't be fear going into any game," Barron said.
"It's one you dream of as a kid. It's another game so we look forward to it.
"Obviously they're a top side, but we're positive. We'll look forward to the game. We've got to go and do a job on Thursday and hopefully we can go and do it.
"Obviously every game is a massive game for this club and Thursday's another one."
We asked for your views on Rangers' 5-0 win against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.
Here's what some of you said:
Tom: Hamza Igamane congratulating Cyriel Dessers on his hat-trick at the end of the game and the smiles both of them certainly gives me the impression that there is a bond in the team which you might not have expected given recent away results, so give the manager credit for that and let's see how the rest of the season goes.
Ronnie: We beat Fraserburgh. There's nothing to shout too loudly about. Findlay Curtis looks like he has a future with Rangers. Other than that not a lot to say.
Stephen: Professional performance. Glad Dessers finally got a hat-trick, and I thought the young lads did well when they came on!
Allan: I thought we played well, delighted for Cyriel that he got his hat-trick, but he still miss too many. Clearly it's opposition we should beat comfortably and we did, we can't take much from beating Fraserburgh but I hope this run of home games has got us on a winning streak that we can maintain.
Lennie: What a find Clinton Nsiala is WOW. Disappointed that Cole McKinnon and Curtis never played 90 minutes, they showed more class than any of the other fringe players that were on the park, especially Ross McCausland, he seems to have lost his way, surprised he was not taken off instead of Zak Lovelace. Let's hope we turn up at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Alexander: A professional performance but nothing more. It was good to see the younger guys get an opportunity. There are still 'established' players not reaching the required standards of Rangers. We accept 5-0 any time regardless of opposition and we move on. Well done to Fraserburgh.
Elaine: Great to see some of the youngsters getting some game time and doing well. Huge respect to Fraserburgh who came and didn't play eleven men behind the ball for the whole game. Well done to their fans too, the biggest away support at Ibrox this season.
Peter: Pleased with the result in fairness to Fraserburgh they came to enjoy the day. They made it a bit hard for us in the first half, I know they're not the hardest team but Dessers comes out the biggest winner with a hattrick and man of the match, it's not often you hear that. I'm glad clement gave a lot of young ones a run out. Nsiala looks a good prospect, roll on Thursday, a big test for us.
Nigeria forward Cyriel Dessers, 30 will only be allowed to leave Rangers if a replacement can be recruited. (Scotsman - subscription), external
Rangers aim "to do something really special" against Manchester United in Thursday's Europa League tie at Old Trafford, says manager Philippe Clement. (Sun), external
Captain Bruno Fernandes, 30, urges Manchester United to be braver and show more belief following their Premier League loss to Brighton. (Mail), external
Sunday's 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton is expected to be the last game for Brazil winger Antony, 24, in a Manchester United shirt, with a verbal agreement reached on a loan move to La Liga club Real Betis. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Rangers fans, were you at Ibrox to see your side progress to the next round of the Scottish Cup with a 5-0 win against Fraserburgh or were you following along from home? Either way, we want your thoughts.
Who stood out for you against the Highland League side? Have your say., external
Rangers manager Philippe Clement tells BBC Scotland: "It was comfortable all game. We had the domination all the time, but the first half we should have scored more. Our last pass and our runs were not as good as they were in the second half.
"There are ones where I saw the normal things, and ones who did better than expected. It's a good result with a lot of young players getting this chance. We go through with no injuries and they get experience. You need to give young players the opportunity.
"The team worked really hard the last couple of months to be in a good situation in the Europa League. This is a massive challenge [against Manchester United]; we will go with belief and confidence.
"It's about creating consistency now. We need to create more depth in the squad because we cannot play with the same players every three days."
Turkish club Besiktas are showing interest in Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence, who has just six months remaining on his contract at Ibrox. (Daily Mail), external
Besiktas want Tom Lawrence without paying a transfer fee, with new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having worked with the Rangers midfielder in the Manchester United reserve side. (Aksam Spor, external - in Turkish)
Manager Philippe Clement wants to keep Ianis Hagi at Rangers for the long-term but the club will not trigger the option of an extra year on the Romania midfielder's contract on his current salary. (Sunday Mail), external
Zurich sporting director Milos Malenovic suggests the path is clear for Nikola Katic to leave this month, with the defender touted for a possible return to Rangers. (Bluewin via Sunday Mail, external)
Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.
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Image source, SNSRangers forward Ross McCausland says he's learning from the man who's keeping him out of the Rangers starting line up.
Czech international Vaclav Cerny has nailed down the right wing berth this season and has limited his teammate to just three league starts this term.
"Václav, who's playing in my position, has been incredible for us for a number of months," the Northern Ireland international said.
"He's very good with me. He helps me with stuff in training and stuff like that. Just getting to watch him every week and some of the stuff he does is incredible.
"Even listening to the stories of where he's been previous in his career is incredible at an international level as well. Just to be able to learn off a guy like that is amazing. I think probably the main thing is he plays on the right and his strong foot is his left foot.
''For me, that's a bit different because my weak foot is my left foot. He's both footed. So I think adding that to my game and not having everybody know what you're going to do, having a bit of variety to your game.
The winger is hoping he'll get a rare start on Sunday when Rangers host Highland League club Fraserburgh in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.
"I think it's an opportunity for many of the boys, including myself, to go and show that we're ready to fight for the rest of the season," McCausland added.
"I haven't been playing or really getting minutes and that's something that is frustrating, but I'm working hard every day and I'm trying to change that. I'm trying to battle for a place in the team every week."
Rangers are closing in on a deal to sign defender Rafael Fernandes, 22, on loan from Lille. (Sky Sports), external
Rangers are willing to accept a "major offer" for 30-year-old striker Cyriel Dessers this month. (Football Insider), external
If Hamza Igamane continues to improve at his current rate then Rangers are going to have a player "worth a small fortune", reckons former Ibrox skipper Barry Ferguson, who predicts his former club "may soon be made an offer which they can't possibly turn down". (Daily Record), external
Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.
Image source, SNSRangers manager Philippe Clement has backed winger Oscar Cortes to have a "good career" at Ibrox, despite the Colombian suffering another injury setback.
Cortes spent the second half of last season in Glasgow on loan from Lens, but picked up an injury in March that kept him out for the rest of the campaign.
The 21-year-old returned on loan last summer with an obligation for Rangers to make the deal permanent, but has made just eight appearances in all competitions this season.
He missed the win against Aberdeen and will also sit out Sunday's Scottish Cup fourth-round tie with Fraserburgh at Ibrox.
Still, Clement backed the youngster to come good.
"Yes, because the injuries that he had afterwards had nothing to do with the injuries that he had last season," he said.
"The decision made by everybody in the club is that he has the talent to do it, when his physical state will be in a good way. So he needs rhythm for that, he needs training for that.
"We all know that he has the football qualities. He has the right mentality, he has the right vision, also the overview in the final third, where it is very important to have this composure.
"He showed all of that, so I don't see any reason why he would not make a good career here at Rangers."
Clement said Cortes will see a specialist to diagnose the extent of his current issue, but the Belgian manager hopes he will be back in action soon.
"I hope it's a short-term thing," Clement added. "It would have been ideal that he got minutes on Sunday, but it's part of football. It's unlucky. Football is a sport with duels.
"He's a strong boy. He has strong legs but sometimes you get hard knocks, so that's part of football, and he had a lot of bad luck the last couple of months.
"I'm disappointed for him because he's somebody with a good mentality, who wants to work hard, who's ambitious to make the right steps, who showed also good quality in the first weeks that he was here.
"Sometimes you can have bad luck and I hope this is the last part of bad luck for him in his career."
Image source, SNSRangers manager Philippe Clement has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Cup fourth round tie against Fraserburgh on Sunday.
Here's the best of what he had to say:
Danilo and Oscar Cortes will both miss the game and are seeing specialists to diagnose the extent of their injuries, while Jack Butland is "still a question mark". Robin Propper is likely to return to training on Saturday.
Clement has spoken to striker Cyriel Dessers about his lack of game-time recently, which the manager put down to Hamza Igamane's "evolution" as a footballer.
The Belgian added that if Dessers wants to start every game, then perhaps he has a decision to make regarding his future, but Clement praised the Nigeria striker's mindset in training and how he is working with Igamane.
Clement reiterated the need to improve Rangers' away results and says efforts are ongoing to do that.
He expects "real changes" to take place now that chief executive Patrick Stewart is in post. Clement also spoke about a review into the football department, which started this week - "you need somebody from outside that can see the bigger picture".
Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSJosh Windass scored a hat-trick when Rangers beat Fraserburgh in 2018
For some, barring an upset of historical proportions, progress to the Scottish Cup fourth round is just all about a big pay day and the romance of the cup.
Fraserburgh's Sunday visit to Ibrox Stadium, a match being shown live on BBC One Scotland, surely comes into that category.
Philippe Clement has survived calls from some fan groups for his sacking after Rangers fell so far behind reigning champions Celtic in the league race, but the Belgian manager would surely never recover should the side sitting ninth in the Highland League be the first Scottish team to win at Ibrox this season.
Mark Cowie's Fraserburgh are themselves unbeaten in 11 outings, but only three of them were away from home and all those were draws.
Rangers, last season's beaten finalists, were visitors to Fraserburgh almost exactly seven years ago, leaving with a 3-0 win, but the part-timers' chairman, Michael Murray, says it is the size of the likely crowd at Ibrox that will be a financial game-changer for his club this time.
They did beat League 1 side Annan Athletic in the last round, but virtually nobody expects a repeat of 1959, when the Highland side beat Dundee, then third in the top flight, 1-0 in one of the greatest cup upsets.
Cyriel Dessers says he wants more regular playing time and, although he would prefer that to be with Rangers, if it does not materialise, the 30-year-old striker is ready to hold talks about his future with the Scottish Premiership club. (VI), external
Rangers have enquired about Talleres centre-half Kevin Mantilla and the Argentine club are willing to allow the 21-year-old to leave amid interest from several clubs. (Nacho Castellano on X), external
Marko Soldo, the 21-year-old midfielder who was linked with Rangers, says reported interest from foreign clubs is a motivation but insists that he is concentrating on the rest of the season with Osijek. (Glas Slovenije), external
Rangers have decided to scrap their B-team after a review by technical director Nils Koppen. (Scottish Sun), external
Following a recent internal meeting, Rangers have decided that loan deals will now be prioritised over B-team matches for players on the fringes of Philippe Clement's squad. (Glasgow Times), external
Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.
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Image source, SNSTeenager Flynn McKay says it would be "the stuff of dreams" if he manages to get on the pitch against Rangers in Fraserburgh's Scottish Cup tie on Sunday.
The sixth-year Fraserburgh Academy pupil has captured his school's attention but joked he still hasn't managed to get out of doing homework.
Fraserburgh travel to Ibrox placed in ninth in the Highland League.
"All the teachers come up and ask: 'How are you feeling?'. They're also really excited, but also the school kids," the 17-year-old said.
"The younger ones coming up to me asking for photos and signatures and all that, so it's quite hectic at school.
"The teachers still expect me to do [my homework], even if it's on the bus on the way up or the way home.
"I've got quite a lot of my family and friends coming down, a couple of them are Rangers supporters as well, my granddad and uncle.
"If I was lucky enough to get on the pitch, it's the stuff of dreams".
Image source, SNSIanis Hagi has heaped praise on Hamza Igamane's ability to deal with the pressure of being Rangers' first-choice striker after the young forward scored again in a 3-0 win over Aberdeen.
The 22-year-old Moroccan netted the opener against the Dons, taking his tally for the season to 13 goals.
And Hagi believes his attacking team-mate is demonstrating a rare and admirable talent as he continues to thrive at Rangers.
"I don't think there's many players around the world that can cope with this type of pressure," the Romania international said.
"Where you have to perform and win, not only perform. Perform and win every three days, it's tough. So at 22, to be able to do that - you can't really find it around the world that much.
"And those who can cope, obviously they can achieve so much moving forward."
Asked to make comparisons between Igamane and Colombia striker Alfredo Morelos, the former Rangers striker whom Hagi also played with at Ibrox, the midfielder said: "Are they natural goalscorers? Yes, they are.
"Are they different in terms of qualities? Probably, yes. As a striker, when you sign for Rangers, you need to score goals. And at the moment, Hamza's doing that, and we need to keep him fit and work for him.
"Obviously, myself and the other players that play behind him try to create as many opportunities for him as possible.
"And as I said, hopefully he'll stay fit, and he'll definitely score goals."
Image source, SNSPhilippe Clement's Rangers have won just three away games in the league this term
Are pitch sizes really the reason behind the stark contrast between Rangers' home and away form?
Former Ibrox defender Maurice Ross has suggested it could be, along with a potential mentality issue in the squad.
In the league this season, Philippe Clement's side boast the best home record in the division, winning 11 and drawing one of their 12 matches, with their most recent success coming in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Aberdeen.
On the road, however, they have won just three out of 11 games, leaving them 13 points adrift of leaders Celtic.
"It's a conundrum," Ross told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio show.
"The only thing I can probably come up with, and I'm being more favourable to Rangers here, are the pitches are a lot tighter away from home unless you're at Celtic Park.
"Teams sit in a low, defensive block and make it difficult for you. I don't know if it's a mentality thing or just home comforts.
"At the minute, Rangers are looking for any positive they can find and last night was certainly very comfortable for them."
We asked for your views on Rangers' 3-0 home win against Aberdeen.
Here's what some of you said:
Stephen: About as straight forward as it gets. Comfortable throughout but would like to have seen more goals. Have to sort out our away form. Rest some players for the weekend and let's go to Old Trafford and get a win!
Tom: Good result but we still make creating chances look like hard work. Game looked like a 1-1 draw until we scored the second. Goalkeeper, full-backs and young centre-back are all very good. Vaclav Cerny surprisingly ineffective but Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi both impress. Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are a good combination.
Elaine: Can we play the top teams every week? Aberdeen never laid a glove on us. What a find Igamane and Clinton Nsiala have been. These boys could save us £10m and make us a fortune. A bit of faith returning in Philippe Clement?
David: Good, decent performance against an Aberdeen side low on confidence, where would we be without Hamza? The wee man's a gem, question is, how long can we keep hold of him?
Brian: Worked hard for their win, with lady luck on their side. It could easily have been four or five going in. There's a player in Nsiala.
Stephen: Much better performance, more hunger and desire to get the job done!
Image source, SNSHamza Igamane has contributed to goals in his last four games in the Premiership (5 goals, 1 assist).
Aberdeen have failed to win in their last 12 games in the Premiership, their equal longest winless streak in the competition.
Rangers attempted 12 shots on target in this match, higher than their season average of 6.4 in the Premiership.
Aberdeen have conceded 10 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (15) and Hibernian (14) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.
Rangers have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their 23 games, only Celtic (17) have done this more often in the Premiership this season.
Aberdeen have failed to score in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer run of games without scoring a goal in the competition was a run of six games from 27 January 2021 to 17 February 2021.
