Rangers 'finalise' second summer signing as Derek McInnes agrees long-term deal for international defender

The Glasgow giants, who formally introduced McInnes to the media on Thursday afternoon, are reported to have finalised a deal that will see the versatile defender rejoin Rangers on a three-year contract, almost six years after he left the club for Aberdeen.

According to a report from the Rangers Review, the club fought off competition from several clubs in England to convince the Scotland international to return to the club this summer. The club are said to have agreed a fee of around £900,000, with add-ons included in the deal that could see that fee rise in the future.

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McCrorie, 28, began his career in the Rangers youth academy with his brother Robby, and played over 50 times in all competitions for the club before departing for Aberdeen six years ago in order to play more regular first-team football. After three seasons at Pittodrie, he moved south to join EFL Championship club Bristol City, and has flourished at Ashton Gate, earning a call-up to the Scotland squad for the European Championships two years ago after an impressive 2023/24 campaign for the Robins.

The club’s second signing of the summer window so far, the defender has joined former Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland in moving to Rangers this summer, as the club looks to improve on their disappointing third-place finish under former boss Danny Rohl last term. While McCrorie offers versatility and can play anywhere across the back line, it’s at right-back where he has performed in recent months.

After a damaging transfer window last summer, Rangers’ recruitment will see both technical director Dan Purdy and performance director Stig Inge Bjornebye link up with chairman Andrew Cavenagh, CEO Jim Gillespie and McInnes as they look to build a side capable of wrestling back the Scottish Premiership title.

Speaking to the press about Rangers’ plans in the transfer window this summer on Wednesday, McInnes said: “What we've got is a recruitment team that will liaise with you constantly. We identify the key positions that we feel we need to bring.

“Within that, there are conversations getting had and work to be done to try and bring first port of call was affordability and accessibility to bring players here. There's no point in fishing in ponds that we're not going to be able to bring players in and waste too much time. So we quickly arrive at maybe a list of players that we can get.”