Rangers’ managerial pursuit has taken another interesting twist with reports confirming the club have spoken to former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli, as the Ibrox board weigh up their next move in what’s become a drawn-out saga.

The 35-year-old Italian is a left-field option, relatively young in coaching terms, and certainly not the box-office name many fans were hoping for. But he is highly thought of in tactical circles, with spells at Nice and Ajax under his belt, albeit his time in Amsterdam ended in disappointment after letting a strong title position collapse.

What makes this development all the more intriguing is that Farioli is known to value project-based jobs – and despite the chaos at Ibrox this past year, the Rangers role does offer a blank slate with new owners incoming and a complete squad rebuild expected. He’s been out of work since leaving Ajax earlier this year and has reportedly told sources close to him that he’s ready for the next challenge.

According to the latest update from The Scottish Sun, Farioli has indeed held initial talks with Rangers and is on the official shortlist alongside Davide Ancelotti and Russell Martin. We recently covered Ancelotti’s name re-entering the frame in this breakdown, and the surprise fan poll result on him right here.

But this is the first real confirmation of Farioli being contacted directly, and it signals Rangers are open to a younger, more progressive coach rather than a big name with a long CV. It’s also worth noting he was on the club’s radar before Michael Beale got the gig, which we discussed in our analysis.

The verdict? A surprise shout, but not without logic. Farioli plays possession-heavy football, likes to press high, and demands full commitment from his squad. If Rangers are serious about modernising their footballing identity, this might be the most forward-thinking candidate yet. Whether that’s what the fans want, though, is an entirely different question.