Rangers now given green light for “outstanding” signing, supporters will be buzzing - opinion

Glasgow Rangers‘ reported hopes of signing Crystal Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland this summer have been handed a boost after the Eagles agreed a deal to sign Sam Johnstone.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have been regularly linked with the former Stoke City man in the off-season and an exit from Selhurst Park could now be on the cards, with Patrick Vieira’s side set to announce the signing of Johnstone on a free transfer.

The England international will likely compete with usual number one Vicente Guaita for the starting spot at Selhurst Park next season which could leave Butland out in the cold, and if the 29-year-old is targeting regular first-team football, he may well favour a move to Ibrox.

Although Allan McGregor recently committed to a new one-year deal at Rangers, he will turn 41 in January and Van Bronckhorst will surely be targeting a long-term replacement for the Scotsman, bearing in mind that fellow shot-stopper Jon McLaughlin will also turn 35 later this year.

Butland was once renowned as one of the best young goalkeepers in England but endured a difficult spell that saw him dropped by Stoke City before he completed a move to Palace in 2020.

Since then, he has gone on to make just 17 appearances for the Premier League outfit, in which he has conceded 21 goals and kept three clean sheets.

It is difficult therefore to see him ousting both Johnstone and Guaita to start next season and Rangers could help him revive his career by giving him the confidence to be a regular starter.

Back in 2015, Mark Hughes was full of praise for Butland, saying:

“He is an outstanding young goalkeeper and everybody has recognised that.

“His quality of performance is high at the moment and he fully deserved to (win his second