Rangers have James Tavernier 'contingency' lined up as free agent right-back eyed as quickfire replacement

Rangers have reportedly pinpointed their replacement for James Tavernier should the captain leave in the coming days.

Tavernier has been heavily linked with a move away all window with Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq and Trabzonspor, who signed both Borna Barisic and John Lundstram, firmly interested earlier in the summer. When the UK window closed, that was thought to be the end of it, but new reports emerged over the weekend claiming three new Turkish clubs in Istanbul Basaksehir, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, as well as two in Qatar, are all keen. The Qatari window is open until Monday while Turkish clubs can make signings up until Friday September 13.

If Tavernier does leave, HITC report they have his replacement lined up already in free agent Cyrus Christie. The 31-year-old most recently played for Hull City and previously racked up the Premier League and EFL appearances for Fulham, Swansea and Nottingham Forest among others.

He's on the hunt for a new club and it's believed several clubs down south, including Coventry City and Preston North End, are ready to turn to him with options now limited after the window closed last week. However it's claimed he is viewed by Rangers as the ideal stop-gap for Tavernier and could come in to compete with Dujon Sterling for the starting berth if Tavernier departs.

Any deal for Christie seems likely to be a short-term deal, either until January or the end of the season, until a longer-term replacement for the skipper can be brought in.