Our view: Will Rangers join race for Scottish rebel Ross Wilson was set to rival £400k bid for?

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The Rangers sporting director will work with Steven Gerrard on future Ibrox transfers.

Ross Wilson’s first transfer window as Rangers’ sporting director is drawing closer.

Wilson replaced Mark Allen at Rangers last month after spells at Southampton, Huddersfield Town, Watford and Falkirk.

A Falkirker by birth, the Rangers chief is no stranger to the Scottish market – which he used to acquire Stuart Armstrong, Virgil van Dijk (both for Southampton), and Paul Dixon (Huddersfield).

According to The Daily Record, Wilson was ready to continue that trend with the Saints this summer, with the newspaper reporting that the south-coast club were ‘expected’ to join Crystal Palace in bidding for the Dundee United winger, Scott Banks.

Banks ultimately stayed put, but has since rejected a new contract. And, speaking to The Courier this week, his manager, Robbie Neilson, suggested that the player is likely to have left for pastures new by the time his existing deal expires in June – with United due around half the £400,000 fee speculated earlier this year in compensation.

Crystal Palace continue to be credited with an interest in the 18-year-old, who excelled while on loan to Clyde last season, but Southampton’s name appears to have been omitted from recent reports.

Whether or not Wilson’s exit is the cause of that remains to be seen, although it would come as little surprise to see Rangers linked with Banks in the not-too-distant future.

Rangers are far from short in Banks’ position, with Ryan Kent, Sheyi Ojo, Greg Stewart, Jordan Jones, Brandon Barker, Jamie Murphy and Eros Grezda all currently in contention, while another wide man, Jake Hastie, is expected back from Rotherham next summer.

But with Ojo’s deal due to expire then too, and one or two others potentially making way before then, there could be scope for another addition in Banks’ position – especially one who is prepared to wait for his chance at first-team level, as the Terrors’ teen may be.