Rangers have launched their move to land Derek McInnes as manager after officially asking for permission to open talks with the Hearts boss. Record Sport understands that the Tynecastle club will not stand in the way of the man who led them to within 90 minutes of last season’s top flight title.
That is also the clearest indication yet that Danny Rohl’s time in Glasgow is all but up, with the German on the brink of being confirmed as the new man in charge at Red Bull Salzburg. In a frantic last 24 hours, Ibrox supremo Andrew Cavenagh has fired the starting gun on the crunch discussions with McInnes’ advisers. Although the American owner has not yet spoken directly with the 54-year-old, there has been ongoing back-channeling between both parties.
Hearts are aware of these talks and are now preparing to start their own search for a replacement head coach. McInnes is in Boston ahead of Scotland’s World Cup opener tonight against Haiti. In a freakish coincidence, Cavenagh is also in the same city, having watched Steve Clarke and his squad as they went through their final big match preparations at the training facility of MLS outfit New England Revolution on Friday.
Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay is also in town and spent time with Cavenagh during Friday’s VIP visit. All three men will be at the Foxborough Stadium tonight as Clarke and his players get their Group C campaign underway with a must-win opener.
The initial discussions are being described as ‘very positive’ but no agreement has been thrashed out at this stage. It’s anticipated the negotiations will continue over the weekend. Former nine-in-a-row winner McInnes was identified as a leading candidate, along with ex-boss Steven Gerrard, from the moment Salzburg expressed their interest in appointing Rohl. That move is now believed to be in the final stages with the clubs thrashing out the size of a multi-million compensation package.
McInnes now appears to be the clear front runner for Rohl’s job, nine years after Rangers first attempted to lure him back to Ibrox during his days at the helm of Aberdeen. McInnes thought he had landed his dream job in 2017 only for then chairman Dave King to move the contractual goalposts at the 11th hour, in a controversial stunt which saw the move from Pittodrie collapse.
But McInnes re-established his credentials for the position with a stunning first season in Edinburgh, after joining the Jambos from Kilmarnock one year ago, scooping up all manner of personal awards as his side were pipped on the finishing line in a last-day title decider at Parkhead. Cavenagh has been sufficiently impressed by his work to be convinced that McInnes is now the right man to front up the second stage of his Rangers revolution following a turbulent first 12 months as chairman.
