In the world of football rumours, when Fabrizio Romano says something, it’s as good as happening.
Known throughout the game, with 5.7million followers on Twitter, he is the go-to source when speculation surrounds movement of players and managers, it used to be Sky Sports but times have changed, now they, depend on him.
Rangers have shortlist ready to replace Gerrard. The board will start official contacts during the weekend – talk scheduled also with Gio van Bronckhorst 🔵🏴 #RangersFC
Former Rangers and Barça player, he’s in the list together with other 2 managers. He’s interested in the job. pic.twitter.com/NaWGnVSK32
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 12, 2021
Other individuals such as Jordan Campbell at The Athletic, Andy Devlin at The Sun and David Edgar of The Heart and Hand podcast can be relied upon to give accurate information and all three of them support Romano’s claims that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is very much the number one target to replace Steven Gerrard as Rangers manager.
There will be other candidates of course but, as yet, it is mainly guess work as to who they are; Russell Martin and Derek McInnes have been ruled out, Frank Lampard and Ronald Koeman’s names have also being thrown into the mix due to their availability and the latter’s previous relationship with Ross Wilson.
Devlin has more detail than most to his story, going as far as to suggest who the backroom staff will be if Van Bronckhorst gets his way and seals a return to Ibrox, Jean-Paul van Gastel, who he worked with at Feyenoord, and Jan Wouters who, as Vital Rangers has already covered, was also first team coach under Alex McLeish at Ibrox.
Things do seem to be gathering pace now with the sources above the best place to keep an eye on what’s happening, the possibility of a new manager by Monday is a distinct possibility.