GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Sheyi Ojo of Rangers FC acknowledges the crowd after the UEFA Europa League group G match between Rangers FC and Feyenoord at Ibrox Stadium on September 19, 2019 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Rangers have officially requested permission to open talks with Hearts manager Derek McInnes, signalling a decisive move to replace outgoing boss Danny Rohl.
Ibrox chairman Andrew Cavenagh has initiated the process by opening back-channel discussions with McInnes and his advisers, though no direct conversation between the two men has yet taken place.
Hearts have been made aware of the approach and are now preparing to begin their own search for a replacement head coach at Tynecastle.
The Edinburgh club are not expected to stand in the way of McInnes, who guided Hearts to within 90 minutes of winning last season’s Scottish Premiership title.
Rohl, meanwhile, is understood to be on the brink of being confirmed as the new manager at Red Bull Salzburg, with the two clubs working through the details of a multi-million compensation package.
Initial discussions between Rangers and McInnes have been described as “very positive,” though no formal agreement has been reached at this stage, with negotiations expected to continue across the weekend.
In a remarkable coincidence, all key figures are currently in Boston, where Scotland take on Haiti tonight in their World Cup Group C opener at Foxborough Stadium.
Cavenagh was present on Friday as Steve Clarke’s squad completed their final preparations at the New England Revolution training facility, while Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay also spent time with the Rangers chairman during that VIP visit.
McInnes is also in the city ahead of the match, meaning all three men are expected to be present at Foxborough Stadium for Scotland’s must-win opener tonight.
The 54-year-old emerges as the clear frontrunner for the Ibrox job, nine years after Rangers first attempted to bring him to the club during his tenure at Aberdeen.
That 2017 pursuit collapsed infamously after then-chairman Dave King altered the contractual terms at the final hour, forcing the deal to unravel before McInnes could take over.
He has since rebuilt his managerial standing impressively, joining Hearts from Kilmarnock one year ago and delivering a stunning debut season in Edinburgh.
His side pushed all the way to the final day of the season before being pipped to the title in a decider at Parkhead, earning McInnes a string of personal accolades along the way.
Cavenagh has reportedly been sufficiently impressed by that record to believe McInnes is the right man to lead the next phase of his Rangers rebuild following a turbulent first year as chairman.
Former nine-in-a-row winner McInnes had been identified as a leading candidate from the moment Salzburg’s interest in Rohl became known, alongside ex-Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard, but now appears to hold a clear advantage in the running for the position.
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