Rangers 'down the line' in transfer pursuit of hottest Premiership prospect amid Sheffield United links
Ibrox chiefs embarked on a fresh scouting mission of the talented Scotland Under-21 international, who has been a mainstay for Dundee this season
Rangers are leading the race to sign promising young Dundee centre-back Luke Graham ahead of next season with Ibrox officials reportedly ‘far down the line’ as they work on a deal.
With Light Blues owner Andrew Cavenagh set to take a prominent role in the club’s summer recruitment after announcing plans to inject a further £16m into Rangers finances via a share issue last week, work is already well underway on identifying possible signing targets.
According to the Daily Record, Rangers chief scout Dan Purdy had the 22-year-old Dark Blues starlet watched closely again at Dens Park on Friday evening as Scotland under-21s played out a goalless draw against Czech Republic.
Graham has been a stand out for Steven Pressley’s side this season and will have plenty of admirers keeping a close eye on how he fares in the Scots’ latest Euro under-21 qualifier in Portugal on Tuesday night.
He has emerged as one of Scottish football’s hottest up-and-coming prospects in recent months with a series of impressive displays for the Dark Blues attracting plenty of interest from club south of the border and closer to home.
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EFL Championship side Portsmouth failed with several January bids for the player’s services, with their final rejected offer believed to be in the region of £1.5m - which would have been a club record sale.
However, the Dees were unwilling to conduct business due to their precarious league position at the time and now Rangers have entered the equation in recent weeks after it came to light that the Light Blues were monitoring his progress.
It’s claimed they have a host of positive reports on Graham, but are expected to face strong competition for his signature if they do decide to swoop for the defender, who has also been linked with QPR and Sheffield United.
All four clubs mentioned remain in the mix as Graham prepares to enter the final year of his contract in Tayside.
Luke Graham to Rangers could be fast-tracked if one permanent exit occurs
With Rangers advancing in a move for Graham ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, they could find themselves in a position to pounce sooner rather than later amid reports that Rabbi Matondo is set to be one of the first notable departures.
Norwegian club SK Brann want to sign the out-of-favour Wales international, who has been given permission to open talks over a permanent deal. The Bergen club is trying to agree terms and secure a work permit for the player before the Eliteserien window closes at the end of the month.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Graham ends up at Ibrox before being loaned back to Dundee for another season as he looks to build up more top-flight experience.
Regardless of the title race outcome this season, head coach Danny Rohl is expected to get significant backing by Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises over the coming months with plans in place to bolster the squad.
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