Manager desperate to stop Rangers signing his Player of the Year this month

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson is determined to avoid losing Zak Vyner on the cheap with Scottish Premiership giants Rangers sniffing around the talented centre-half.

Now, a Championship clash between Millwall and Bristol City is not usually a game Rangers supporters would have half an eye on. But there were three good reasons for those at Ibrox to keep tabs on the Robins’ eventual 1-0 win at the New Den on Saturday afternoon.

There was a start for Sam Bell; the jet-heeled winger hailed by Pep Guardiola and linked with Rangers. Jake Cooper and Zak Vyner also went head-to-head in South East London; two of Mick Beale’s alleged centre-back targets facing off.

This is not the first time Cooper has been linked with a move to Glasgow. Rangers reportedly failed with a £3 million bid during Beale’s first spell at Ibrox back in 2018.

Vyner, in contrast, is a new name on the list.

Rangers eye Bristol City ace Zak Vyner

The Bristol Post reports that Rangers are considering a move for the 26-year-old before the month is out, and their hopes will have been boosted by Pearson’s admission that there has been no movement on a new contract for a man who will become a free-agent in July 2024

“Not at the moment,” Pearson told the Bristol Post when asked if there were any updates regarding Vyner’s contract situation. “We’ve talked about it but there’s nothing further to add at the moment.

“We’d like to extend it. And there have been one or two conversations. He is a player we should be looking to extend.”

26-year-old Vyner, Bristol City’s Players’ Player of the Year, rose through the ranks at Ashton Gate. After selling Alex Scott to Bournemouth for around £25 million, Pearson is determined to avoid losing another homegrown talent.

“Tommy Conway, Sam Bell, they’re all players we need to try and tie down for our own wellbeing. When you lose your exciting prospects, all that work that has gone into developing the players…” the former Leicester boss adds.

“It’s something we need to protect our assets.

“I don’t think there’s anything unusual in me saying that. It’s just how it is. We’ve worked hard to create and develop assets, so we need to protect them.”

Rangers hammered Livingston 4-0 on Saturday. New signings Sam Lammers, Danilo, Abdallah Sima and Kieran Dowell all scored at Ibrox.