Hearts ready for Rangers move for Derek McInnes
Glasgow club may need a new manager as Danny Rohl edges towards the exit
Hearts are braced for Rangers interest in Derek McInnes if Danny Rohl departs for Red Bull Salzburg. The Glasgow club expect that they will soon be seeking a new head coach, and McInnes is high on their list of targets after taking Hearts to within minutes of the Premiership title last month.
McInnes signed a four-year contract upon his arrival in Gorgie 12 months ago and Tynecastle officials would not welcome any attempt to lure him away. They lost captain Lawrence Shankland to Ibrox last month after he invoked a clause in his contract to leave for free.
Some members of the Rangers hierarchy are long-term admirers of McInnes’ management and believe he would be well-suited to succeeding Rohl. The 54-year-old Scot spent five years there as a player, winning the Scottish league title and Scottish Cup. However, he rejected offers to manage Sunderland and Rangers in 2017, choosing to stay with Aberdeen at the time.
McInnes oversaw a thrilling first campaign as Hearts head coach and already has numerous new signings in place for next season. He guided the club to second place in the Premiership for the first time in 20 years, but there was huge disappointment on the final day as the Edinburgh club lost 3-1 at Celtic. That saw the Parkhead side win the league title by two points.
Rangers officials have put McInnes high on their wanted list as they prepare for Rohl’s likely exit. Salzburg are in talks to appoint the German as their new head coach after a recommendation from Jurgen Klopp, head of global soccer for the Red Bull group. McInnes is currently on holiday and it remains to be seen if he shows any more interest in moving to Glasgow than he did previously.
He left Kilmarnock for Tynecastle last summer after helping the Rugby Park club gain promotion back to the Premiership and return to European competition. His Hearts team quickly surged to the top of the league table and remained there until the final day. McInnes has put plans in place for pre-season and is scheduled to take the squad to Spain later this month.
The Edinburgh News has learned that Rangers have not made any official contact with Hearts regarding McInnes as things stand. They are anticipating Rohl’s departure to Austria and are already making plans behind the scenes for his successor. They have other names on their shortlist but McInnes has plenty support within the corridors of Ibrox and is firmly the No.1 choice for the job.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh is determined to instil more of a Scottish and British identity at the club and McInnes is someone well versed with players on both sides of the Border. He has vast experience of Scottish football after working at St Johnstone before spells at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.