Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd believes Rangers should move immediately for Derek McInnes and Lawrence Shankland this summer, despite Andrew Cavenagh publicly backing Danny Rohl to remain in charge at Ibrox.
Speaking on The Warm Up, Boyd argued that Rangers require proven Scottish football experience and stronger leadership profiles after a season that exposed repeated weaknesses in mentality and game management.
Kris Boyd calls for Gers to sign Hearts duo
“If it’s me, and I’m putting my Rangers hat on here, I would go straight right now and get [Derek] McInnes in that door, 100 per cent,” Boyd said.
“And I’d also bring [Lawrence] Shankland with him as well.”
The comments arrive only days after Cavenagh reaffirmed his support for Rohl, making clear that the Rangers hierarchy remain committed to the German coach as part of a wider rebuild following a disappointing campaign.
Andrew Cavenagh backs Danny Rohl
Cavenagh has already acknowledged that Rangers “don’t yet have a good team” and confirmed the club’s summer strategy will focus heavily on leadership, chemistry and football intelligence rather than simply signing players with resale potential.
He went on to confirm the German will remain in charge despite the Gers first third-placed finish since 2018.
“Danny is our coach,” Cavenagh said. “We think that Danny gives us the best opportunity to win the league next year.
“We think there are two really important things that he needs, one is a pre-season and the most important one is a revamped squad.
“I don’t love the word backed, I would say that we recognise that the squad needs significant change, so we intend to do that.”
That stance effectively ended speculation around Rohl’s immediate future, with the manager expected to oversee a major squad reshaping during the transfer window.
Rangers target Scottish core
Boyd’s argument, however, reflects a growing debate around how Rangers should rebuild and whether the club have moved too far away from proven domestic knowledge in recent years.
McInnes has rebuilt his reputation impressively through successful spells at Kilmarnock and Hearts, earning recognition for consistently producing organised, competitive teams capable of handling the demands and scrutiny of Scottish football.
He took the Jambos to the summit of the Premiership for 250 days, before a final day defeat to Celtic at Parkhead
For many observers, he represents reliability and structure.
Both attributes Rangers lacked during a campaign where title hopes collapsed following a damaging run of post-split results.
Shankland, meanwhile, continues to attract links with Ibrox due to his leadership qualities and proven record in front of goal at Premiership level.
The Scotland international endured fruitful campaign at Hearts this season and remains one of the most productive and experienced attacking options available domestically.
Leadership vacuum at Ibrox
Rangers are already expected to undergo significant change this summer.
Several senior players are likely to follow captain James Tavernier out the door and depart as Rohl reshapes both the dressing room dynamic and leadership structure.
The manager himself has repeatedly stressed the need for stronger personalities inside the squad.
“We want to create leaders, not just followers,” Rohl said recently when discussing the club’s long-term direction.
That message aligns closely with Cavenagh’s own public assessment of Rangers’ shortcomings, even if Boyd believes the solution should involve more established Scottish football figures.
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Rangers’ ownership remain firmly aligned behind Rohl and the recruitment overhaul planned for the coming months.
But Boyd’s intervention highlights the broader pressure surrounding the rebuild and the growing belief among sections of the support that experience, accountability and domestic understanding must now take priority over long-term experimentation.
Elsewhere, Rangers physiotherapist Stevie Walker confirmed his departure from Ibrox after 23 years as Rohl makes changes to his background team ahead of his first full season in charge.
