Rangers Now Linked To This £9m Forward: Should They Go After This Deal?

Rangers Now Linked To This £9m Forward: Should They Go After This Deal? Derek McInnes wants to reshape the Rangers’ attack, and he has set his sights firmly on the capital. Claudio Braga is the man everyone is talking about. After lighting up the Scottish Premiership with Hearts, the Portuguese forward has caught the eye of the Ibrox decision-makers. It is a bold move, but the escalating price tag might just push this one out of reach. Rangers eye ambitious swoop for Hearts talisman Claudio Braga as transfer race heats up Major Portuguese outlet O Jogo broke the news on 10 July, relayed by Transfer Feed , confirming Braga knows all about the interest from Glasgow. He is a hot commodity. Trabzonspor and Olympique Lyon are also firmly in the hunt, meaning Rangers face stiff competition from abroad. Lawrence Shankland is already here, and the idea of pairing him with his former teammate is incredibly tempting. They were lethal together. Hearts, however, hold all the cards here. They want a massive fee, somewhere between £8m and £10m. Think about that for a second. The Edinburgh club plucked Braga from Aalesunds in the Norwegian second division last summer for just £430,000. Less than a year later, they are looking at a historic profit. If someone pays that asking price, it will eclipse the £9m Sunderland paid for Craig Gordon back in 2007. Celtic have reportedly kept tabs on the situation too. Yet it is Rangers who have shown the most concrete domestic interest so far. The problem is the English Premier League money. Newly promoted Ipswich Town have entered the fray with real financial muscle, alongside Trabzonspor. It is turning into a crowded, expensive battleground. The numbers behind the hype Braga is coming off a sensational year. He played 38 league matches, bagged 14 goals, and provided three assists. That works out to 0.43 goals per 90 minutes. His underlying stats are even better, putting him in the top 2% of the league for non-penalty expected goals output. All competitions included, his tally stands at 17 goals and six assists from 44 games. No wonder he picked up the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year award. From the Norwegian second tier to the best player in Scotland in 12 months. It is a crazy rise. T4O take: Can the Ibrox board actually deliver this deal? EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – JULY 17: Claudio Braga of Hearts celebrates with home fans after the pre-season friendly match between Heart of Midlothian and Rayo Vallecano at Tynecastle Park on July 17, 2026 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images) Rangers might simply not be able to match that £9m valuation. The money is a massive hurdle. Then there is the player’s perspective. If Lyon or a Premier League side offer a contract, a domestic switch becomes a tough sell. Why stay in Scotland when Europe or England calls? New Tynecastle boss Wouter Vrancken has already accepted the reality. The Hearts business model relies on selling stars at the right time. They are preparing for life without him. Rangers seem to be pivoting already. Attention is turning toward Jens Hjerto-Dahl , a long-term midfield target who represents a far more achievable deal. Chasing Braga past the £8m mark feels like a gamble McInnes does not need to take, especially when up against clubs with much deeper pockets.