Rangers' hopes of signing veteran centre-back Gary Cahill this summer look to have taken a blow after Steven Gerrard's side crashed out of the Champions League at Ibrox, with the financial implications of the aggregate defeat against Malmo meaning that a move for the former Chelsea man is now unlikely.

What's the word?

The Sun linked Rangers with a move for the 35-year-old defender earlier in the summer and he is now a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace following his contract expiry.

However, after Rangers' missed out on a potential £40m of Champions League income, it has been suggested that a move for Cahill is no longer viable, with the same newspaper claiming that they won't be able to offer Cahill the wages he wants.

The Telegraph have also claimed that Southampton and Bournemouth are keen on the former England international and it seems as if they would be able to offer him a better deal than the one on offer at Ibrox, so it seems unlikely that he will be linking up with Gerrard this summer.

A blow for Rangers?

After an unbeaten league season that saw Rangers concede just 13 goals in the Scottish top-flight, few Gers fans could have argued that defensive signings were a necessity this summer.

However, recent defeats against Malmo and Dundee United have exposed some of Rangers' old defensive vulnerabilities, and adding an experienced head such as Cahill could have been a great signing both on and off the pitch for the Teddy Bears.

The centre-back has an vast amount of experience in the Premier League and Champions League, whilst he could have been a leader for the Gers in the dressing room, and perhaps taken on a similar role to Jermain Defoe from a coaching perspective.

Cahill was singled out for high praise by Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace last season, with the experienced manager saying:

"His position is very good, he’s exceptionally good in the air, he’s a strong challenger for the ball and a very good blocker of the ball. These are the defensive qualities we don’t talk about every day... They’re the qualities that get you the clean sheets.

"He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don't see from Row Z in the stand. He’s the leader we see in training week to week."

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Therefore, he could've been an excellent addition to Gerrard's squad, and the manager will no doubt be even more gutted that his side failed to qualify for the Champions League qualifiers, now that it is seemingly preventing him from improving his squad at Ibrox.

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