Sources: Rangers to 'firm up' Luke Graham interest with formal offer amid Portsmouth report
Rangers are preparing to submit a formal offer for Dundee FC centre-back Luke Graham in the coming weeks, sources have told Football Insider.
The Light Blues are ready to "firm up" their interest in the 22-year-old, after recent reports suggested that Portsmouth have stepped up their interest.
Pompey are part of a whole host of English Championship clubs that are chasing the youngster this summer, and their move is set to bring a response from Rangers.
Dundee are hoping that an "auction" may unfold for their star, with the intention of driving his price up as much as possible.
Graham is understood to "tick a lot of boxes" at Ibrox due to the desire to add more homegrown talent to the squad.
However, Rangers will also need to act decisively to contend with the financial muscle of the English clubs who are interested.
Luke Graham meets multiple new Rangers transfer guidelines
Rangers have a desperate need to strengthen at centre-back this summer, with the loan departures of Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius leaving them extremely thin in that area.
Emmanuel Fernandez, John Souttar and Dujon Sterling have been left as the only senior options in that area of the pitch, and at least one new face is expected to come through the door in that department.
Graham fits the bill for Rangers in that sense, but also falls in line with several elements of their new transfer policy that has been put in place.
The Glasgow giants are trying to build a core of Scottish players at the heart of their squad, and also want to target young stars with a big resale value.
Graham's performances at Dens Park have established him as a player with a big future ahead of him, and that would give him major long-term value to Rangers.
However, they are having to contend with a huge amount of interest south of the border at the moment, which will not make a deal easy for them to strike.
Nevertheless, Derek McInnes and Co. are preparing to make their move, as they respond to Portsmouth's acceleration.
Three-way £20m Nicolas Raskin race
Football Insider revealed on Monday that Rangers are set to demand £20million for midfielder Nicolas Raskin this summer.
The Belgian is about to enter the final two years of his contract at Ibrox, and is subject to heavy interest from the Premier League, Serie A and the Turkish Super Lig.
The 25-year-old has consistently been linked away from Ibrox in recent years, but the Gers are still in a "strong position" to hold out for a big fee.
Raskin has established himself as one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership, and keeping hold of him would be a major statement of intent for McInnes' side.