An update has emerged on Rangers gem Cole McKinnon and his immediate future at Ibrox in the summer transfer window... 

What's the talk?

According to The Athletic's Jordan Campbell, the young midfielder is closing in on a loan exit away from Glasgow after putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

The teenager is set to sign for Partick Thistle after making his first-team debut under Gio van Bronckhorst in the Premiership last term.

Campbell tweeted: "Understand Rangers midfielder Cole McKinnon, who signed a new three-year deal yesterday, is expected to join Partick Thistle on loan. The 19-year-old is highly rated at Ibrox and scored in the final league game of last season. Goes box-to-box and has a knack of getting a goal."

Van Bronchkhorst will be delighted

The Gers head coach will be delighted by this news, as it means that the 19-year-old will be heading out to gain some much-needed experience in senior football.

A full season of playing regular first-team minutes for Thistle will hopefully allow him to develop as a person and a player. He will be put under the pressure of competing in crucial, high-stakes games instead of youth team matches and Lowlands League matches, where Rangers B are not vying for promotion or relegation.

McKinnon is a promising young player and Van Bronckhorst will want to see how the youngster fares over the course of an entire campaign before deciding whether or not to integrate him into the first-team at Ibrox.

The gem offered a glimpse of what he is capable of with a 30-minute cameo against Hearts in the top flight last season.

He came off the bench and scored in the 3-1 win as he completed 93% of his attempted passes and won 100% of his duels. SofaScore handed him a rating of 7.30 for his performance as he caught the eye alongside the likes of Alex Lowry and Adam Devine.

This performance shows that the potential is there for McKinnon to compete in the Premiership, and it is now down to him to head out on loan and prove that he deserves more opportunities by impressing for Thistle on a regular basis.

Van Bronckhorst will now be keeping a keen eye on the 19-year-old's development and will surely be delighted to watch the youngster take his next step towards making it at senior level.

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