Rangers snubbed by another managerial candidate amid Steven Gerrard uncertainty as search for Russell Martin's replacement drags on

Rangers sacked Martin just months after his appointment at Ibrox in the summer. Many considered him to be a perfect fit at the club due to his ball-playing philosophy, but his tenure turned out to be a nightmare. In their first seven matches in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers have registered just one win and are now languishing in eighth position in the league table, 11 points behind league leaders Hearts and nine behind rivals Celtic. 

Following Martin's exit, Rangers have been looking for a suitable candidate to fill the managerial vacancy. Last week, it was reported that Liverpool legend Gerrard could make a sensational comeback after four years. In his first stint in Glasgow, Gerrard guided Gers to a league title and thus, naturally, he had the fans' approval. The former England midfielder even flew to Scotland from the Middle East to hold talks with club officials, only to later withdraw his name from the race as he felt that the time was not right to return to football management.

Other than Gerrard, Rangers also had former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl on their managerial shortlist. Accordingly, the Scottish giants approached the German coach with an offer and had even held concrete talks with the 36-year-old, but Florian Plettenberg now reports that Rohl has rejected their offer as he does not feel the timing is right to take charge of the club. Rohl's reason is seemingly the same as Gerrard's, as he is not ready to return to the dugout after something of a torrid time at the Championship strugglers.

Days after turning down Rangers' offer, Gerrard has supposedly re-emerged as the frontrunner to take charge at Ibrox once again. The Sun reported on Wednesday that the former England star has suddenly become the bookie's favourite to manage the Gers. SunSport, though, also claims that despite that surprise update, Gerrard is unlikely to be in contention anymore and he has already flown back to Bahrain. 

On Wednesday morning, the 45-year-old's odds were as high as 20/1 with William Hill. Spokesperson of William Hill, John Hill, told SunSport: "Despite ruling himself out of the job just a few days ago, Steven Gerrard has been heavily backed in our next Rangers manager market this morning. Gerrard is now just evens to return to Ibrox for a second spell in charge."

Following Rohl's rejection, Rangers have now sent a club-record financial offer to former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, according to journalist Luca Chianti. The bid has seemingly caught Dyche's attention as the 54-year-old English manager is said to be considering the offer. The experienced Premier League tactician has been out of work since being sacked by the Merseyside club in January 2025, having overseen a poor run of results that left them one point above the relegation zone. Nevertheless, it would be seen as something of a coup for a Scottish club if he were appointed in Glasgow.

The Sun report further claimed that former Rangers star Kevin Muscat is now being considered the favourite candidate to land the job in Glasgow. The former Australia international, who played for Gers in the early 2000s for a season, is on course to make a comeback at Ibrox after more than two decades. After retiring in 2011, Muscat has spent the majority of his coaching career in Asia, managing teams like Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Shanghai Port. In between, he was briefly in charge of Belgian club Sint-Truiden.

Rangers also have their eyes on Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, while former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his assistant at Old Trafford, Michael Carrick are also among the names that are under consideration. The club are desperate to find a solution to their coaching problem before the international break ends, as they would ideally want a new head coach to sit in the dugout in their next Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United on Saturday.