West Ham set for Rangers scout mission as pre-season friendly announced - view

West Ham United will travel to Ibrox to face Rangers in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

It's set to be the Gers' final test before Derek McInnes takes charge of his first competitive game with them against Dundee United on 31 July.

The Hammers have an important season to look forward to as they get ready for the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League.

West Ham may have a chance to scout Emmanuel Fernandez during their friendly against Rangers as they look to reinforce their defence.

While the Irons are playing in the Championship, they are a historic club and the former Peterborough United star would surely consider moving to London Stadium if presented with an opportunity.

The Hammers will also likely be considered favourites to win automatic promotion to the English top flight next season and it wouldn't be surprising to see that prospect attract Fernandez.

Rangers stance already known amid West Ham interest in Emmanuel Fernandez

Nuno Espiritio Santo's team are among the many Premier League teams interested in Fernandez and have identified him as a top prospect they can develop in the future.

Rangers signed the Nigeria international for £3.5million last summer from Peterborough, and he has since established himself as one of the most highly rated defenders in Scottish football.

Sources told Football Insider in March that West Ham would have no chance of signing Fernandez if they were relegated from the Premier League.

The Glaswegian outfit have no intention of selling the 24-year-old centre-back this summer, but it remains to be seen whether their stance will change in the coming future.

Nuno faces defensive crisis at London Stadium

Nuno could have to go into next season with a completely different backline, as multiple exits may be on the cards at West Ham.

Konstantinos Mavropanos, Hammer of the Year for the 2025-26 campaign, surely wouldn't want to spend a year in the Championship after an impressive individual run on form.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will also likely attract interest from Premier League teams in the summer, as they've proven themselves to be reliable options despite the Hammers' relegation.

Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo clearly aren't trusted by Nuno, and the Portuguese manager has also seen Axel Disasi return to Chelsea after a decent loan spell at the London Stadium.