Rangers Poised to Secure Future of Bailey Rice

Rangers have spent the last year worrying they might lose Bailey Rice for nothing. Now it looks like they’re about to keep him for everything.

According to the Daily Record, the 19-year-old midfielder, out of contract this summer and heavily courted across Europe, is ready to turn his back on a queue of suitors and commit his future to Ibrox. For a player who hasn’t kicked a ball this season, that says plenty about how highly he is rated inside the club.

England came calling. Leeds United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United all circled, sensing an opportunity. Ajax watched. Schalke 04 tracked his situation. Rice, though, is understood to be ready to shut the door on all of them and stay put in Glasgow.

The twist? The man who appears to have swung it for Rangers has already left.

Rohl’s Parting Gift

Danny Rohl did not deliver silverware to Ibrox. He did, however, leave something arguably more important for the club’s long-term health: a cornerstone for the next midfield.

Before heading to RB Salzburg, the German coach is credited with convincing Rice to sign fresh terms. No trophy, but a potential leader for the next decade is not a bad parting gesture.

Rangers have moved quickly to reset after Rohl’s departure, turning to Derek McInnes, who arrives off the back of a near-miss at Hearts in the title race. McInnes inherits a squad with options in the middle of the park, but also one glaring opportunity: to shape Rice into the heartbeat of his team.

For that to happen, the teenager must now prove he belongs in the thick of it, game after game, in a midfield that will demand both brains and bite.

From Motherwell Prodigy To Ibrox Hope

Rice’s story has never followed the easy path.

He came through Motherwell’s academy and was offered a professional deal there, but chose to back himself and move to Rangers as a kid. That decision, taken four years ago, raised eyebrows at the time. It looks a lot less risky now.

His early senior exposure was limited to the odd appearance, a taste rather than a full serving of top-level football. That changed late in the 2024–25 season when interim boss Barry Ferguson, under pressure to freshen things up, handed the youngster a genuine run in the side.

Rice responded. He didn’t just fill a jersey; he looked like he belonged in it.

There was a snapshot of his potential on a big stage at Old Trafford, where he went up against Kobbie Mainoo during a UEFA Europa League League Phase clash between Manchester United and Rangers. On a night when many young players might have shrunk, Rice showed he could live with the tempo and intensity of elite opposition.

The trajectory was clear. A breakthrough season beckoned.

Then it vanished.

A Season Lost, A Future Regained

A serious knee injury wiped out his entire 2025–26 campaign. For any teenager, that is brutal. For one on the brink of establishing himself at a club like Rangers, it is a nightmare.

Inside Ibrox, anxiety grew. His contract ticked down, his rehab dragged on, and the list of interested clubs seemed to grow longer by the month. Rangers were left sweating on two fronts: his fitness and his future.

If the latest reports are right, they’ve won the second battle. Now comes the first.

McInnes will not want to rush him, but he will know what a fully fit Rice can offer. The manager’s challenge is to reintegrate a young midfielder who has lost a year of development without losing his edge or his confidence.

Fitting Into McInnes’ Rangers

On paper, Rangers are not short of midfielders. Under Rohl, Nicolas Raskin and Tochi Chukwuani formed the preferred double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, offering balance and control. McInnes, though, is cut from a different cloth.

He has built his reputation on a more traditional, compact 4-4-2: hard-running wide players, a disciplined central pairing, and a side that stays organised and aggressive without the ball. In that system, central midfielders cannot hide. They have to cover ground, win duels, and use the ball intelligently under pressure.

Rice’s profile fits that template. He is comfortable taking the ball in tight spaces, reads the game well, and doesn’t shy away from the physical side. If his knee holds up, he has the attributes to thrive in the kind of structured, high-work-rate environment McInnes demands.

Rangers’ depth chart still looks healthy with Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron adding to the competition. Yet there is a potential fault line: Raskin’s future.

The Belgian has emerged as a target for Atalanta, and if Serie A money lands on the Ibrox desk, Rangers will have a decision to make. Lose Raskin, and the midfield picture changes instantly. The need for a homegrown, ready-made replacement grows sharper.

That is where Rice’s new deal, if finalised, becomes more than just a contract extension. It becomes a statement.

Rangers are not only protecting an asset; they are backing a player they believe can anchor their midfield in the years ahead. After a lost season and a long chase from abroad, the next move is his.