Rangers primed for record transfer as McInnes gets green light for summer spending spree

16 Jun 2026 18:05 BST | 4 min read

Suraj Radia | Editor

Rangers could seal a record-breaking transfer this summer after fresh contact was made by Bayer Leverkusen over a move for Emmanuel Fernandez.

Article continues under the video

Fernandez joined Rangers last summer for €3 million from Peterborough and the defender has caught the eye of several European heavyweights after some impressive performances last season.

Current ETV

Emmanuel Fernandez

D (C)

Rangers

Emmanuel Fernandez

D (C)

Rangers

ETV Range

€1.6M - €2.4M

TEAMtalk now report that negotiations are set to ‘accelerate’ over Fernandez’s departure, with Rangers hoping to receive a fee in excess of £25 million (€29m) which would be a record sale for the Scottish giants.

Leverkusen are now thought to be pushing the hardest for Fernandez after stepping up their chase in recent days, although they will face competition to sign the Nigerian international.

Dortmund are believed to be long-term admirers of Fernandez, while the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton have been monitoring the 24-year-old ahead of the summer window.

With Peterborough holding a sell-on clause, Rangers are understood to have put up their asking price and could even demand an even higher fee when taking into account payment structure and add-ons.

Fernandez sale could fund Rangers rebuild under McInnes

Fernandez struggled for game time during his initial few months at Ibrox under then-manager Russell Martin but he became a mainstay after the arrival of Danny Rohl in October.

© IMAGO - Emmanuel Fernandez could leave Rangers this summer.

The 6 foot 5 inch centre-back played 22 times in the Scottish Premiership and scored five times, drawing praise for his aerial ability and composure on the ball, which led to him being named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.

Fernandez’s current contract expires in 2029 and Rangers have an option to extend it for a further year, giving the Scottish side leverage in negotiations and room to demand a substantial fee to part ways with their star defender.

Rohl is set to leave Rangers for Red Bull Salzburg, with Hearts boss Derek McInnes set to replace him, and the Gers would be open to Fernandez’s sale if they can make a record profit in order to reinvest the funds into rebuilding the squad under their new manager.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store