An update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst's plans for the future of the number one position at Ibrox...

What's the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are one of the teams plotting a swoop for a player in the second division of English football.

It's thought that Rangers want to sign England stopper Sam Johnstone when the window opens in a few months' time.

The report claims that they are looking at potential replacements for 40-year-old shot-stopper Allan McGregor and have identified the West Brom man as a player who could come in.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and a number of Premier League sides are set to battle the Glasgow giants for his signature. The Daily Mail state that Tottenham, Newcastle, West Ham and Southampton are all eyeing the Baggies star up.

Bargain

Van Bronckhorst is plotting a swoop for the 29-year-old and Ross Wilson must ensure that he can get this deal over the line as it would be a bargain signing for the Gers.

He is available for £0 in the summer because of his contractual situation at The Hawthorns, with his £18k-per-week wages being the only issue for Rangers. Nine of the current squad are reportedly on as much per week or more than the ex-Manchester Unite man, which suggests that the club can afford his wages.

The shot-stopper would be a bargain addition as he has proven his quality south of the border. Steve Bruce, who managed him at Aston Villa, previously showered Johnstone with praise. He said:

"We all knew he was a top class goalkeeper and he’s looking the part now.

"He’s a diamond - first in, last out. He’s a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn. A big pat on the back to my coach, Walshy, too. He’s worked hard with him and has always said to me ‘take him, he’s the best young goalkeeper in the country'."

Micah Richards once dubbed the monster as being "exceptional" on Match of the Day and his form in the Premier League for the Baggies backed that up. In the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.01 across 37 matches, making zero errors directly leading to goals and saving 69% of the shots against him.

McGregor, meanwhile, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.80 in the Premiership. He has saved 68% of the shots on target against him and made three errors directly leading to goals, which suggests that he is more prone to making mistakes than the Englishman.

Therefore, bringing Johnstone in would improve the Rangers XI as he is more reliable between the sticks and he has proven his quality at the top level. He is also 11 years younger than McGregor and this means that he could be the Gers number one for many, many, years to come.

AND in other news, GvB can save Rangers millions with "brave" 48-goal teen who's "clinical and calm"...