Rangers are working on signing the £5m SPFL star for McInnes, and Shankland will love having him in the squad
Rangers are standing at the edge of a new chapter and everything around the club feels like it is about to change quickly as Derek McInnes looks set to take over as the new manager and bring a fresh direction to Ibrox after what has been a mixed period under Danny Röhl. The expectation inside the club is that McInnes will soon be confirmed on a three year deal after a strong season with Hearts where he guided them to a second place finish and rebuilt their confidence as a team that could compete at the top end of the Scottish Premiership. His work at Tynecastle has not gone unnoticed and Rangers believe he is now the right man to restore stability and winning mentality at Ibrox and already plans are being made behind the scenes even before he officially walks through the door.
The feeling among supporters is that this is not just another managerial change but the beginning of a rebuild that could shape the next few seasons of the club because Rangers have fallen short in key moments and the pressure to respond is growing every year and McInnes is being trusted to fix that with experience knowledge of Scottish football and a clear idea of how to build a competitive squad quickly without long transition periods. One of the biggest advantages he brings is his familiarity with players already in the league and that is why early transfer planning has already started with names being discussed that can make an immediate impact rather than long term projects that need time to settle.
One of the first major boosts for Rangers is the arrival of Lawrence Shankland who has already completed a move from Hearts and is expected to lead the attack under McInnes once again. Shankland is not a new face to the manager and their previous partnership was one of the key reasons Hearts performed so strongly last season as the striker thrived under McInnes system and delivered consistent goals showing composure movement and leadership in the final third. Shankland finished the league campaign with 16 goals and his ability to perform in big moments made him one of the standout forwards in the division and Rangers believe he can bring that same reliability to Ibrox where expectations are always higher and pressure is constant.
But even with Shankland already in place there is a growing feeling inside Rangers that the attack still needs more balance and more movement around him and that is where Claudio Braga comes into the picture as a serious target for a potential £5 million move from Hearts after an outstanding season that saw him become one of the most influential attackers in the league. Braga arrived in Scotland without the biggest reputation but quickly changed that with performances full of energy creativity direct running and intelligent movement and he became a key part of Hearts attacking system alongside Shankland under McInnes.
Braga is not a traditional striker but more of a dynamic forward who drifts into spaces takes on defenders presses aggressively and links play between midfield and attack and that is what made him so effective at Hearts because he gave Shankland the freedom to stay central and focus on finishing chances while Braga did the running and created chaos for defenders. Together they formed one of the most effective partnerships in the Scottish Premiership scoring a combined 30 league goals and adding assists that helped Hearts secure a strong league finish beyond expectations at the start of the season.
Shankland scored 16 goals from an expected goals figure of 11.32 showing his clinical finishing while Braga scored 14 goals from an expected goals figure of 14.47 showing consistency and efficiency in front of goal and beyond scoring both players contributed assists and created chances for each other with Braga producing more big chances overall while Shankland remained the main target in the box. Their chemistry developed quickly and became one of the main reasons Hearts were so dangerous in attack because defenders struggled to deal with their movement patterns and constant rotation in the final third.
Braga also added another layer to his game with dribbling ability averaging successful take ons per match and showing confidence in one on one situations which made him unpredictable and difficult to mark while Shankland provided the physical presence and finishing edge inside the penalty area and this combination of styles is exactly what Rangers are now trying to recreate at a higher level under McInnes because it gives structure and balance to the attacking system instead of relying on one type of forward play.
The interest from Rangers is also supported by the fact that Braga was named Premiership Player of the Season after his breakthrough campaign and that recognition has increased his value significantly in the transfer market as clubs now see him as one of the best attacking players in Scotland with potential to improve even further in a bigger environment. Across 38 league appearances he consistently delivered goals assists and key moments in matches and showed maturity in decision making despite it being one of his first major seasons in Scottish football and that kind of consistency is exactly what Rangers are looking for as they aim to challenge for titles again.
However the situation is not simple because Hearts are expected to resist strongly any attempt to lose another key player especially to a direct rival like Rangers and after already dealing with the departure of McInnes and Shankland the club does not want to lose Braga in the same window but financial pressure and player ambition could play a role in deciding what happens next especially if a £5 million offer is placed on the table. Celtic are also monitoring the situation which adds more pressure and could push the price higher if a bidding battle begins between top Scottish clubs.
For McInnes the idea of bringing Braga to Ibrox is not just about talent but about familiarity and system fit because he already knows how to use him effectively and understands his strengths and weaknesses and that gives Rangers a major advantage in recruitment because there is no guessing involved and no adaptation period required for the player to understand what the manager wants from him. He already knows the instructions the movements and the tactical demands which means he could make an immediate impact at Ibrox from the first match of the season.
At Rangers there is also the presence of Youssef Chermiti who is seen as a traditional striker similar in style to Shankland and that is why Braga becomes even more important because he provides something different a second wave of attack a player who can drift wide carry the ball and create space for others instead of just finishing chances and this kind of variety is often what separates good teams from title winning teams in tight competitions where games are decided by small tactical details.
The possibility of reuniting Shankland and Braga is already exciting supporters because they saw how effective the partnership was at Hearts and now the idea of seeing it again at a bigger club with higher stakes and stronger teammates creates a sense of expectation that Rangers could finally build a more complete attacking system rather than relying on individual moments and inconsistent form across a season. The chemistry is already proven so the risk is lower and the potential reward is very high which is why this deal is being seriously considered internally.
But everything will depend on negotiations timing and how far Rangers are willing to go financially because once multiple clubs enter the race the situation becomes more complicated and Hearts will have stronger leverage while Braga himself may have decisions to make about his next step and whether he wants to continue developing in Scotland or move into a bigger league abroad. For now everything remains open and nothing is final but the interest is real and growing and the idea of McInnes building his new Rangers attack around familiar players is becoming more likely as the summer window approaches.
If everything aligns Rangers could be looking at a very different attacking identity next season one built on understanding movement and partnership rather than isolated talent and individual performance and if Braga arrives alongside Shankland under McInnes then Ibrox could be about to witness the start of a new era where familiar combinations are used to build a stronger and more consistent title challenge in Scottish football.
