Qualifying for the Champions League might be Rangers' best hope of landing goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
That's according to sports journalist Pete O'Rourke, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.
The lowdown
Johnstone is poised to leave West Bromwich Albion this summer when his contract expires.
According to The Daily Mail, Rangers have expressed an interest in signing him, along with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Southampton.
The Gers can qualify for the Champions League group stage if they win the Premiership or the Europa League. They are currently six points behind Celtic in the domestic table, but they have reached the last four of the continental tournament.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side will meet RB Leipzig, who are ranked 19 places above them in UEFA's club coefficient, for a place in the final of the Europa League.
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The latest
O'Rourke reckons that the opportunity to play in Europe's premier club competition could be a factor in Johnstone's decision, but for now he still expects the 29-year-old to wind up in the English top flight.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: "If Rangers were to qualify for the Champions League, that's something Sam Johnstone might take into consideration, but I do think that he will end up moving to a Premier League club when he leaves West Brom this summer."
The verdict
Spurs and West Ham, both of whom are also in the frame for his signature, could also potentially offer Champions League football next season. The Lilywhites are only two points outside the top four with five games to go, while West Ham are also in the Europa League semi-finals.
However, at those clubs, Johnstone would likely be competing with Hugo Lloris and Lukasz Fabianski, whereas at Rangers he could well be walking into the vacancy left by the anticipated departure of Allan McGregor.
It would be a marquee signing for the club when you consider that Johnstone is an England international. In a 5-0 win over Andorra in October, he even managed to register an assist, leading ITV's Gabriel Clarke to label him a 'quarterback', so he certainly seems like a target who's well worth pursuing.
In other news, this Sky Sports man was concerned by one Rangers absence against Motherwell after what he 'heard'