Rangers weigh move for Hearts boss Derek McInnes if Danny Rohl leaves for Salzburg

Rangers are considering a coaching contingency plan centered on Derek McInnes, with reports in Scotland saying the Ibrox club have asked Hearts for permission to speak to the manager if Danny Rohl departs for Red Bull Salzburg. The idea, according to BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English, is that the McInnes option would be a straightforward fit for a club of Rangers’ stature and expectations.

Rohl, who has been positioned as the leading candidate to leave, is linked with a potential move to the Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg. In that scenario, Rangers’ interest in McInnes would hinge on whether Hearts grants formal permission, a common step in football hiring processes when a manager under contract is approached. Until that permission is granted, the discussions remain an outline of intent rather than a confirmed appointment plan.

Derek McInnes has managed Hearts during a period that has tested the club’s resources and stability while also demanding results on the pitch. His standing in Scottish football is reflected in the fact that he is being treated as an immediate, practical alternative rather than a long-term gamble. For Rangers, whose support and history create pressure for rapid improvement, the appeal is less about reinvention and more about continuity of standards.

The “no-brainer” framing attributed to English captures the logic that Rangers would prefer a manager already operating effectively in the Scottish game instead of turning to an unproven outsider during a tight off-season window. That matters because managerial transitions can ripple through recruitment, pre-season planning, and the internal evaluation of player roles. A delay in naming a coach can also complicate negotiations with targets who want clarity on their future responsibilities.

There is a wider context to Rangers’ decision-making as well. Hearts and Rangers occupy different positions in the Scottish football ecosystem, but the overlap between their managerial targets is common. When a club like Hearts has a manager who attracts attention, it indicates that performance has been strong enough to travel beyond its immediate league context. Whether Rangers can execute a move will depend on Hearts’ willingness to engage and on the timing of any departure from Rohl.

For now, the story remains conditional. Rangers are reported to have asked permission, but no contract or hiring agreement is confirmed in the reporting. The next checkpoint is whether Rohl’s situation becomes definitive and, separately, whether Hearts responds positively or places boundaries around discussions with McInnes.

If Rangers do end up with McInnes, the key watch points will be how quickly the club moves to stabilize its coaching staff and how that affects short-term player decisions. If the club instead keeps Rohl, the McInnes matter would recede into the background as a contingency plan. Either way, the coming days are likely to shape the balance between ambition and practicality at Ibrox as Rangers try to position themselves for the next competitive phase in Scotland.