Rangers open talks to sign Zinedin Smajlovic - report

Rangers are interested in signing Sandefjord centre-back Zinedin Smajlovic this summer.

The in-demand centre-back is reportedly attracting plenty of attention this summer and the Gers are firmly in the race for his signature.

Over the last two seasons, the 22-year-old defender has been a key player for the Norwegian club and has remained a solid presence in their backline throughout the 2026 Eliteserien campaign.

Sandefjord find themselves in a good position regarding negotiations as the Ibrox hierarchy have held talks in recent days to sign Smajlovic.

But the Light Blues will have to fend off plenty of competition for the young defender's arrival, with Hull City making contact with the club from Norway and Celtic lurking behind the scenes as well.

A bidding war for the Sweden Under-21 international is imminent and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the promising centre-back.

Given the interest in Smaljovic from various teams, Sandefjord have leverage and will be looking to break their previous transfer record by a good margin

As things stand, the Norwegian club's current sale record stands at £2.6million, which they received after forward Stefan Ingi Sigurdarson joined Go Ahead Eagles in the winter transfer window.

According to TV 2 on 23 June, Sandefjord want around £4.6m for Smaljovic and Olympiacos are currently in the lead to acquire his services.

The management in Jotun Arena expect to complete negotiations for the defender's exit soon, with bids starting to come in close to their valuation.

Sources told Football Insider on 23 June that Rangers were ready to submit an official offer for Luke Graham in the coming weeks, with the Dundee centre-back wanted at Ibrox.

Derek McInnes clearly needs more central defenders at his disposal ahead of next season after Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius' return to their parent clubs.

The Scottish manager has just two natural centre-back options right now in John Souttar and Emmanuel Fernandez and multiple additions are evidently needed this summer.