Glasgow Rangers' hunt for a new manager appears to be drawing to a close, with Mick Beale set to join the Ibrox side following the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst last week.

The 42-year-old is well placed to rejuvenate the side ahead of the second half of the season, having served as Rangers' first-team coach under the Steven Gerrard regime between 2018 and 2021.

With some of the first team struggling so far this term, Beale may find solace in youth, with the club having a plethora of riches that include Alex Lowry, Adam Devine, Zak Lovelace, and Charlie McCann.

19-year-old left-back Johnly Yfeko is also one to keep an eye on and if he reaches his potential, he may generate millions in profit for Rangers in the future.

Dream Borna Barisic heir

The Croatian has been great going forward this season, creating eight big chances and averaging 2.2 key passes per match, providing a crucial attacking input from the left-back area.

That said, this has largely been outdone by his poor defensive stats, as he has lost possession on average 19.5 times per game, with Rangers keeping just four league clean sheets when he has played.

Add to this the fact that summer arrival Ridvan Yilmaz has attracted interest from Turkey, and Beale might find he has to utilise the talents of Yfeko sooner rather than later.

The 19-year-old joined the club in January from Leicester and went straight into the B team. After initially impressing, the youngster signed a contract extension until the summer of 2024.

Due to the injury crisis that was enveloping the squad, Yfeko gained some important experience as Van Bronckhorst named him on the bench for the 2-1 defeat to St Johnstone at the start of the month and this could be crucial going forward.

His journey is similar to that of Calvin Bassey, who also moved to the Gers from the Foxes before establishing himself in the starting XI under Gerrard and then the Dutchman. His splendid form led to the club selling him for a record £23m fee in the summer.

Yfeko has a lot to learn, however, studying Barisic will be crucial to his development and this could give him the confidence to stake a claim in the first team before too long.

If Beale manages to nurture him and slowly integrate the left back into senior football, he may well be ready to take over from the Croatian when his time at the Light Blues is over.