Dujon Sterling among three Rangers stars who could be next to pen new deal after John Souttar announcement
John Souttar’s new contract could be about to mark the start of a flurry of new deals that are dished out by Rangers in the coming months.
The 29-year-old’s contract at Ibrox was due to expire at the end of the season, but the club hierarchy have moved quickly to tie him down to a fresh deal in Glasgow.
Rangers announced that Souttar had put pen to paper on a new one-year deal on Thursday, while the club also hold the option to extend that deal by a further year as part of the initial agreement.
The centre-back has been a key figure for Danny Rohl in recent weeks, and the boss now knows that he will be part of his squad again for next season.
Rangers are already trying to plan ahead for next term amid their ongoing battle for the Scottish Premiership title, and with that in mind, Football Insider picks out three stars who could be next to sign a new deal.
Dujon Sterling
Dujon Sterling has returned to the fold for Rangers in recent months, after he was initially unavailable in the early part of the season amid his continued recovery from a long-term injury.
However, the 26-year-old has made up for lost time since his return to action, as he quickly caught the eye of the fanbase with some impressive displays in the backline.
Rohl has managed the defender carefully so far to avoid another fitness setback, but he has still opted to start him in crucial games against Hearts, Hibernian and Celtic since the turn of the year.
Sterling’s return to the squad has been like a new signing for the German of late, and his versatility across both the centre-back and right-back roles has provided valuable flexibility for his manager.
The Englishman is out of contract in the summer of 2027, but he is surely rapidly playing his way towards a new deal at the moment.
James Tavernier
Football Insider recently revealed that Rangers are set to hold off on discussions over a new deal with James Tavernier until the end of the season.
The club captain is another member of their squad who is set to be out of contract this summer, but Rohl is keen to keep him around for next season and beyond.
The veteran right-back has been a crucial part of his plans once again this term, but Rohl and Co. are keen to avoid anything that could potentially spark a distraction to the title race behind the scenes at Ibrox.
With that in mind, Tavernier’s future looks highly unlikely to be settled until after the title race is decided at the end of the season, but it is already clear that Rangers are hoping to keep him around.
Nicolas Raskin
Former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness recently told Football Insider that Rangers may need to secure Champions League football for next term in order to keep Nicolas Raskin.
The Belgian’s future at Ibrox has been up in the air continually in recent seasons, and there was even interest in him from the Premier League in the latter stages of last summer’s window.
Raskin has been reluctant to pen a new deal when Rangers have made previous attempts to tie him down, but there is no need for Rohl and Co. to give up without a fight.
He is due to enter the final year of his current deal this summer, and it could be now or never for the Gers to tempt him with a truly attractive offer.
Rangers have made no secrets about their desire to keep Raskin as a key player in the long term, but they will need to act this summer if they are to have any chance of achieving that.
For more expert analysis on the state of Rangers’ squad heading into the summer, check out Ibrox News.