Lewis Ferguson’s name has been attached to Rangers for what feels like the entire summer, and the saga shows no sign of cooling down. The Bologna captain and Scotland international has long been considered a boyhood dream signing for the Ibrox club, given his family ties run deep: his father Derek and his uncle Barry both wore the shirt with distinction, and Ferguson himself came through the Rangers academy as a youngster before his path took him elsewhere.
Bologna have made clear they are not simply going to wave their captain out the door. Reports have placed their valuation anywhere between £15m and £25m, a figure that has repeatedly been described as a stretch for Rangers’ current budget. Various creative solutions have been floated, including talk of a possible swap arrangement involving Nicolas Raskin heading the other way to Serie A, though nothing concrete has emerged from that idea beyond speculation.
For his part, Ferguson has not hidden his feelings. Speaking to Italian media, he confirmed that Rangers remain his favourite team and that he has always wanted to pull on the shirt, while also admitting his frustration that talks earlier in the window seemingly went nowhere given the financial gap between the two clubs. His father Derek has been similarly candid, publicly questioning why Rangers opened talks at all if they couldn’t match Bologna’s asking price.
With Ferguson under contract until 2028, there is no urgency on Bologna’s side to sell cheaply, and question marks remain over whether this move happens this summer, next year, or ever. What’s clear is that the interest is genuine on both sides of the negotiating table. Whether sentiment and family history are enough to bridge a real financial gap is the story still waiting to be written.