Rangers have been pursuing Daniel Johnson in recent weeks, but they now look unlikely to strike a late deal for the Preston star.
The Gers emerged with a move on the eve of the Championship season last month, meaning Johnson was left out of the side that lost 1-0 to Swansea City at Deepdale.
Johnson’s only appearance so far this season came in the Carabao Cup win over Derby County as he came on as a substitute, but he has since been out with an injury.
The LEP reported last week that Rangers’ only bid so far was worth just £1.5million across four payments, which Preston rather unsurprisingly rejected immediately.
£1.5million for our Player of the Year isn’t enough anyway, never mind with just a fraction of it paid up front to try and replace him before the deadline.
Rangers haven’t returned with a new offer, and it seems that they have now moved on to a new target as they attempt to rush through a signing before the window slams shut.
The Daily Record claim that Rangers are set to sign Amiens midfielder Bongani Zungu on loan with a view to a permanent deal, having pursued him for much of the summer.
Johnson may have been a backup target for Rangers if they couldn’t land Zungu, and it’s hard to imagine that they will now pursue both Johnson and Zungu today.
That will be a major boost for Preston, but the big issue remains that Johnson is out of contract in 2021, meaning that Rangers could sign him on a pre-contract agreement in January if they still fancy him – but for now, we’re taking this as good news.