Lewis Ferguson is on Rangers' list, but the price attached to him is already the main story. Bologna are said to value the midfielder at £17m, a figure that would smash Rangers' transfer record if a deal ever got that far. Ferguson is also captain at Bologna, where he has lifted the Coppa Italia, their first silverware in five decades.
Bologna's price and Rangers' limit
The fee is the part that changes the temperature of this one. Rangers' current record stands at Tore Andre Flo's £12m move from Chelsea in 2000, so £17m is not a modest stretch, it is a serious jump for a club that finished third in the Premiership on 72 points.
Bologna finished 8th in Serie A on 56 points, which helps explain why they are in a position to demand strong money for a player who has made 135 appearances over four seasons. Corriere di Bologna said Derek McInnes is dreaming of a "major transfer coup" by landing his former Aberdeen player, while BBC Scotland reported that Bologna have slapped a £17m valuation on the midfielder.
Ferguson's standing at Bologna
The valuation is only part of why this has traction. Ferguson has been a captain there, lifted a major trophy, and still found a way to stay involved at a good level. He played every single minute of Scotland's three World Cup group matches against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil.
His recent World Cup numbers were steady enough too, with a 7.63 rating across his latest recorded matches and a 7.3 average over his last five. That does not make the move cheap, but it does make the interest understandable. Rangers are looking at a player who is established, trusted and still in decent form.
The one uncertainty is timing. Reports have suggested the talks may be active now, while others have said any movement could wait until Ferguson returns from holiday next week. Either way, the fee is still the big obstacle, and it is hard to see Rangers moving unless they are ready to push well beyond their existing benchmark.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →