- Rangers linked with James Penrice, but left-back is not a top summer priority.
- Major rebuild needed elsewhere with midfield, defence, and attack all requiring urgent upgrades.
- Any move depends on budget after while pressing squad gaps are addressed.
Rangers are being linked with a move for AEK Athens left-back James Penrice as Danny Rohl begins shaping his squad ahead of a crucial summer rebuild, with the club expected to be active early in the window.
Penrice, a former Partick Thistle and Hearts defender, has impressed in Greece since joining AEK from the Jambos last summer.
The 27-year-old playing a key role as they secured their first Super League title in three years.
The former Livingston full back is under contract until 2028, meaning any deal would likely require a significant fee.
Rangers saw a bid rejected in January reportedly worth around £3m, and would need to go beyond this to secure the player.
However, left-back is not necessarily an area of need at Ibrox.
Defensive rebuild means James Penrice is not a requirement
Tuur Rommens has impressed since arriving on loan from Westerlo.
However, Jayden Meghoma will return to Brentford, leaving limited depth in that position but with the expected outlay for Penrice well over seven figures, it seems a lot for a potential back up option.
With James Tavernier also set to depart and Dujon Sterling’s availability inconsistent, defensive reshaping is already underway across the back line.
Danny Rohl committed to summer rebuild
Rohl, however, has publicly stressed his commitment to the rebuild despite mounting pressure following recent results.
“Of course, no question mark from my side,” he said when asked about his future.
“My focus is to bring something back to the club, the last impression at the moment is three defeats and we can work that we have two wins before the summer break.”
That wider squad overhaul is not limited to full-back.
Centre-back depth remains a concern with only John Souttar and Manny Fernandez currently established.
However, interest from Germany in the Nigerian is expected to intensify.
In midfield, Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are both linked with exits as Rangers look set to cash in on the duo.
Bailey Rice is out of contract, leaving only Connor Barron and Tochi Chukwuani as senior options.
Further forward, Rangers are expected to lose loanees Mikey Moore and Andreas Skov Olsen.
While Bojan Miovski’s future also remains uncertain, leaving significant rebuilding required across the attack.
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Against that backdrop, Penrice fits the profile of a reliable, domestically experienced defender who could strengthen the squad quickly.
However, while he is a competent option in a key position.
The wider scale of Rangers’ squad restructuring means left-back recruitment is just one piece of a much larger and more urgent puzzle this summer.
