Glasgow Rangers may now be seriously regretting a major transfer decision that Giovanni van Bronckhorst oversaw at Ibrox last summer.

During the summer transfer window, Rangers were linked with a number of goalkeepers and according to The Sun, Jack Butland was one name that was touted.

Club legend Allan McGregor had looked like he’d played his last match for Rangers after a farewell appearance in the Scottish Cup victory over Hearts at the end of May, however less than a month later, he had signed a new one-year extension and links to goalkeepers began to dry up.

This meant they missed out on Jack Butland, and now he has signed for Manchester United on a six-month loan deal, proving just how much football can change in such a short amount of time.

Rangers missed a trick

The 29-year-old once looked like he would have a stellar career and be a future England No.1, but it hasn’t quite panned out like that, unfortunately.

He did make England’s 2018 World Cup squad and has won nine caps for his country while making 275 league appearances. His finest spell came at Stoke City, with Butland keeping 50 clean sheets in 168 matches across all competitions.

Although he hasn’t played at all this season, the £35k-per-week keeper clearly has plenty of talent that Erik ten Hag wants him as a backup to David De Gea.

In 33 matches across all competitions this term, McGregor and Jon McLaughlin have conceded a staggering 47 goals between them, including 22 in the Champions League group stages and this went a long way to Van Bronckhorst being sacked.

Butland would have been a marked improvement on those two this season and may have resulted in the Ibrox side delivering a more credible title challenge.

He was described as “unreal” by journalist Jack Reeve and the club certainly missed a trick by not luring him to Glasgow, especially with the notion that he would have become the first-choice 'keeper and played in the Champions League.

Michael Beale will bring a few new faces to Ibrox this transfer window, but a shot-stopper isn’t expected to be one, and come the summer, McGregor will be out of contract. If Butland is available, it might well be second time lucky for the Gers. For now, however, there will surely be a tinge of regret.