Host of clubs join transfer race for Rangers star as Swiss champions + MLS side involved in five-way battle

Rangers face a busy transfer window after the competition of the 49ers takeover and business is expected to ramp up over the coming weeks with a possible outgoing on the cards.

EFL League One side Cardiff City are the latest in a growing list of clubs to have registered an interest in Ibrox winger Ross McCausland.

The Northern Ireland international - who still have two years left to run on his current contract - is eager to remain part of new head coach Russell Martin’s long-term plans. However, that decision could be taken out of his hands with a number of foreign clubs also swarming for his signature.

Martin is already short of wide players following the departures of loanee Vaclav Cerny and Ianis Hagi at the end of last season, leaving McCausland, Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo as the only options available at present.

And now the Light Blues have mounting interest in McCausland’s situation, with Cardiff joining Plymouth Argyle, MLS side FC Cincinnati, Belgian outfit OH Leuven and Swiss champions FC Basel all reportedly monitoring the 22-year-old closely.

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Despite being on the radar of several teams, the Daily Record claim McCausland would prefer to stay at his boyhood club but with another massive squad overhaul on the cards this summer. The report also adds that Martin could be open to listening to offers for the youngster, who made 25 appearances for Rangers last term.

McCausland moved to Ibrox from NIFL Premiership side Linfield back in 2019 and was given his first taste of first-team action by former boss Philippe Clement. He scored in the club's 2-0 Europa League win over Malmo last season but has failed to nail down a regular starting slot and remains a bit-part player.

Kevin Thelwell outlines collaborative approach to signing players

In total, the academy graduate has netted seven times in 66 appearances for the Gers to date. Martin is still assessing his squad and potential signing targets alongside sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

And with another big rebuild expected, Thelwell insisted last week that any new arrivals will be made as part of a collaborative process, claiming it will be a team effort where both he and the club’s scouting department will help to identify players, before Martin is given the final seal of approval.

He stated: “Put very simply, the way in which we will be organised is we’ve got a head coach and a sporting director. The head coach is responsible for the most important bit; the preparation of the team, performance of the team, results.

“My role is to try and make sure all the support services that sit around Russell are as strong as they possibly can be to give us the best chance of winning. When we talk about recruitment, clearly, it is going to be a collaborative approach. I’ve never been in this role ever where I have signed a player that hasn’t been supported by the head coach or manager.

“We’ll talk a lot about how we want to play, a lot about profiles we need and what positions we need. Between Russell, myself and the recruitment team, we will sit down and identify players that we think could make us better very quick;y. Between us, we will decide about what we do next.”