View: Rangers deal for SPFL star looks dead in water, but Ibrox loanee can come to the rescue

Rangers could potentially miss out on Dundee United defender Luke Graham, who wants to play in the Premier League.

That’s according to Steven Pressley, who believes the centre-back’s ambition is to play in the English top flight.

Dan Purdy has consistently scouted Graham this season, but it looks like the Ibrox chief may be in for disappointment.

The Glaswegian outfit will undoubtedly need to bolster their backline in the upcoming transfer window, with Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius expected to return to their parent clubs as things stand.

Andrew Cavenagh has promised further investment at Ibrox, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that the Govan side’s pursuit of the Dundee star is already dead in the water.

Leon King thrives away from Rangers

Leon King joined Ayr United last summer and has been instrumental in their push for promotion.

The Honest Men are currently five points behind fourth place in the William Hill Championship, but there are still plenty of games to go for them to secure a play-offs spot.

King has made 22 league appearances for Ayr in the current campaign, keeping six clean sheets.

The defender has furthered his development at Somerset Park after being given regular opportunities under Scott Brown, who was recently replaced by John Rankin.

As things stand, the 22-year-old’s contract at Ibrox is expected to expire at the end of the season, and going by his displays at Ayr, it would make sense for the Light Blues to offer him an extension and possibly come to the rescue in case a deal for Graham doesn’t pan out.

Speaking on Sky Sports on 2 April, Pressley said, “It’s not just the case of balancing the books. We’ve got to understand that a player like Graham, probably in his own mind, wants to be at a top club, a club in the Premier League. That’s his ambition. And of course, at Dundee we can’t provide that ambition.”

Andrew Cavenagh should shift focus to another defender at Ibrox

Now that it looks like Rangers could potentially have a tough time convincing Graham to join them, they should start conversations with Wolves for Nasser Djiga.

The Burkina Faso international has been almost faultless for the Gers since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations and has formed a formidable partnership with Emmanuel Fernandez.

If the Light Blues can keep Djiga and the former Peterborough United centre-back for the 2026-27 campaign, they will certainly not need Graham.

Souttar and King could cover as backup defenders in the upcoming campaign, but it remains to be seen what the Glaswegian outfit decide.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.