Could Rangers make Ferguson marquee signing?

However, perhaps above all, Ferguson would return home a leader having captained Bologna since 2023.

His uncle Barry was a legendary captain at Ibrox, winning multiple domestic honours and also managing the team on an interim basis last year. Dad Derek played for Rangers between 1983 and 1990.

Fans of the club have long lamented a lack of leadership within their squad, and with former long-term captain James Tavernier gone and goalkeeper Jack Butland departing, experience has left the squad.

The arrival of Lawrence Shankland should help fill that void, and Ferguson would too. The Scotland duo, plus McCrorie, also fit into McInnes' idea of needing a Scottish core running through his squads.

A break clause in Shankland's Hearts contract allowed Rangers to snap him up for nothing, while McCrorie rejoined for a reported fee of £1.5m.

Both deals represent shrewd business for two Premiership-proven players, but it will likely take a hefty bid, in Scottish football terms, to bring back Ferguson.

With doubt surrounding the future of Nicolas Raskin, a sizeable fee for the Belgium midfielder, who is also featuring at the World Cup, could help supplement a potential statement replacement in Ferguson.

The Ibrox ownership showed last season they are happy to spend big, but whether they spent well was another debate.

Ferguson would be a more risk-averse option in that regard, given his prior Premiership pedigree and subsequent development, as Rangers aim to avoid another trophyless season after last term's sobering third-place finish.