Ancelotti Jnr on course to become new Rangers manager - but Ibrox club may have to move fast

DAVIDE ANCELOTTI is firmly on course to become Rangers’ next manager — provided the protracted takeover of the club doesn’t derail the process in the coming days.

As Mail Sport reported this morning, the Italian remains the front-runner to succeed Barry Ferguson at Ibrox.

After holding face-to-face discussions with the club’s hierarchy in London last week, Ancelotti is now scheduled to speak directly with Andrew Cavenagh.

A key figure in the consortium which is poised to take imminent ownership of the club, the American health tycoon is set to fly to Europe to oversee the final stages of the managerial chase.

Steven Gerrard, Russell Martin and Brian Priske remain in contention for the position although former Rangers player Martin is also wanted by Leicester City.

But with chief executive Patrick Stewart, new sporting director Kevin Thelwell and 49ers Enterprises chief Gretar Steinsson also set to meet with Cavenagh as soon as he touches down, quickly closing a deal with Ancelotti is now the top priority.

Although the son of legendary boss Carlo does not boast any managerial experience of his own, it’s understood the Ibrox hierarchy have been impressed by him to the point where they are now seeking to strike an agreement.

While Ancelotti, who previously assisted his father at Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, has made it clear he wants to move to Glasgow, he will consider the other options at his disposal if the takeover drags on too long.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague stressed the need to move quick, telling BBC Sport: ‘Rangers are now up against the clock. If a decision isn’t reached by the end of this week — or, at the very latest, by the first week of June — they risk missing out on Ancelotti.

‘The Italian has options — three other high-level opportunities — from clubs that value Ancelotti’s experience, his modern approach, and ability to connect every layer of a club: from the dressing room, to the media, the ownership, and the boardroom.

‘That comes not only from being by his father’s side at Bayern, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid, but from a personal conviction that clubs should build lasting cultures, not just chase quick wins.

‘He wants to leave behind something enduring — an identity, a structure, a way of working that survives his departure.

‘If Rangers want to make this happen, they need to move fast. The logic points towards Ibrox. The fit is there and the enthusiasm is mutual. But hesitation, at this stage of the managerial carousel, can be costly.’

It had been thought that Ancelotti would join his father in his new role as boss of the Brazilian national team, but those plans have now changed as he focuses on becoming a head coach in his own right.

And it has emerged that the Ancelottis have a family connection to Scotland that may have strengthened the lure of Rangers to Davide. His maternal grandmother lived in Penicuik, near Edinburgh, having married a Scot, so Scottish football will not be entirely alien to the prospective new Ibrox boss.

Unconfirmed reports in Spain claim Ancelotti has spoken to Luka Modric about the possibility of him moving to Rangers after the Croatian legend also left Real Madrid.

One player looking increasingly unlikely to be moving back to Rangers any time soon is winger Vaclav Cerny, who enjoyed a succesful season on loan from Wolfsburg last term.

The Czech international is a target for Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor, who have identified the 27-year-old as their No1 transfer target this summer.

The Istanbul-based outfit already have strong links to Rangers having landed John Lundstram and Borna Barisic from Ibrox last summer, albeit Barisic was loaned out to Spanish outfit Leganes in January before picking up an injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Rangers have paid tribute to former player Willie Stevenson, who has died at the age of 85.

Stevenson made more than 100 appearances for the Ibrox club between 1958 and 1962, winning the Scottish League title in 1959 and the Scottish Cup the following season.

After moving to Bill Shankly’s Liverpool, he won two First Division titles, one FA Cup and three Charity Shields, and, after helping Liverpool beat Celtic in the semi-finals of the 1966 European Cup Winners’ Cup, he played in the final defeat by Borussia Dortmund at Hampden Park.

Stevenson subsequently had spells with Stoke City, Tranmere Rovers and Vancouver Whitecaps before finishing his career with Macclesfield Town.

A statement on Rangers’ official website confirmed the death and said: ‘The thoughts of everyone at Rangers are with Willie’s family and friends at this sad time.’