Managerial melting pot: Rangers line up Derek McInnes but SFA may lose out on Michael O’Neill

RANGERS will finally make their move for Derek McInnes once this afternoon’s match against Aberdeen is out of the way.

After Pedro Caixinha was sacked five weeks ago, the Dons manager was identified early in the recruitment process as an outstanding candidate to replace the Portuguese.

However – and not least because of the £800,000 compensation clause associated with his transfer from the Pittodrie club – Rangers opted instead to go ahead with an exhaustive vetting of all applications.

With that now completed, and no winning alternative presenting itself, they are ready to approach their Premiership rivals for permission to speak to McInnes.

A boyhood fan and former player of the Light Blues, the 46-year-old would undoubtedly find it hard to turn them down.

But he would also require assurances on both staffing and the availability of funds to strengthen the squad in transfer windows to come.

Following chairman Dave King’s revelation at last Thursday’s AGM that Rangers would look both to a hire a manager already in work, and one with experience of the Scottish game, the odds of McInnes moving have shrunk to as short as 25/1 ON.

The news is sure to lead to a stormy atmosphere at Pittodrie today, where Aberdeen will seek to turn things around following their 3-0 defeat to the visitors at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

While Rangers’ pursuit of McInnes seems likely to have a positive outcome, there could be bad news ahead for the SFA.

After Gordon Strachan’s time as Scotland manager ended in October, Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill was identified as the prime candidate.

He took his country to last year’s European Championships, and to within a play-off of next year’s World Cup Finals.

It emerged during the week that a £500,000 compensation fee would be due should the 48-year-old decide to swap one country for the other.

And, The Sunday Post understands, the Irish Football Association’s offer of a new four-year extension to take him to 2024 is on better terms than the £1-million-a-year deal the SFA were dangling in front of him.

O’Neill, who lives in Edinburgh, asked for a period of time out to consider his future following Northern Ireland’s narrow defeat to Switzerland in last month’s World Cup play-off.

Although keen on the notion of taking charge of Scotland – who have long been held to possess a stronger squad than the one he leads now – O’Neill is also aware he has no shortage of options.