Derek McInnes poised to become Rangers manager as Danny Rohl closes in on switch to Salzburg

Derek McInnes is lined up to become Rangers manager when Danny Rohl has put the finishing touches to his big switch to Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg.

German head coach Rohl’s move is close to being completed, with reports stating last night that it will be officially rubberstamped within the next day or so unless there are dramatic late changes.

Rangers are poised to land a seven-figure compensation payment for the 37-year-old and that will immediately go towards forking out what is likely to be a hefty six-figure fee — potentially around the £700,000 mark — for Hearts manager McInnes.

McInnes was on the books as a player at Rangers between 1995 and 2000 and chairman Andrew Cavenagh and CEO Jim Gillespie are known to be keen to rebuild the club around a Scottish core having witnessed Rohl blow his chance of winning the title and gaining automatic entry to the Champions League last term.

Cavenagh, Gillespie and McInnes were all in Boston last night to watch Scotland’s World Cup Group C opener with Haiti and Hearts will not put obstacles in the way of the 54-year-old former Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone manager securing a return to Ibrox.

Indeed, they are understood to have contingency plans of their own on the table already to fill the role of head coach.

McInnes was the subject of an approach by Rangers when in charge at Pittodrie back in December 2017, but turned the offer from then Ibrox chairman Dave King down in the end.