Rangers saw one of their most important players leave Ibrox earlier in the current transfer window as Joe Aribo waved goodbye to club.

The midfielder moved to the English Premier League earlier this month in a deal worth up to a reported £10m, bringing an end to his three years with the Light Blues.

Another significant player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's squad who has been linked with an Ibrox exit this summer is Borna Barisic. In June, it was reported that the full-back had attracted interest from Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Should the 29-year-old find himself following in the footsteps of Aribo and leave Rangers this summer or in the near future, the club will need to ensure that they have a suitable replacement for the Croatian.

One man who has been linked with a move to Ibrox and who could fit this particular bill is Stoke City full-back Josh Tymon.

With 114 appearances to his name for the Potters across their senior and under-23 teams, the 23-year-old has scored four goals and delivered eight assists along the way.

Last season saw the Englishman make 44 Championship appearances for his current club and play more minutes than any other player in Michael O'Neill's squad, highlighting just how important he is to them.

Tymon ended the campaign with more crosses delivered (201) than any of his team-mates and also posted the second-highest number of successful tackles (40) at the club. This highlights just how capable he is of getting up and down the pitch with and without the ball.

Bearing in mind how Barisic racked up the second-highest number of crosses (158) and the third-most tackles won (33) in Rangers' squad for their previous Premiership campaign, it's easy to see the similarities between the two players, and why the Stoke gem would be an ideal heir for the 29-year-old at Ibrox.

Hailed as an "outstanding" talent by his former Hull manager Steve Bruce in the past, Tymon would certainly be a useful addition to Van Bronckhorst's side, especially if Barisic ends up leaving the club in the near future.

With a reported price tag of £6m, securing a deal for the Stoke full-back would be an investment worth making for the Gers this summer.

AND in other news - Deal close: Rangers set to land "dynamic" £1.6m-rated "beast", it's great news for Van Bronckhorst