Rangers Eye This Liverpool Starlet As Tavernier Era Nears Its End: Good Option? | OneFootball

Rangers Football Club are in an interesting spot as the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season is in its last few weeks. The Ibrox side are still one of the biggest names in Scottish football. Under German head coach Danny Rohl, they’ve managed to find the competitive spark they lost during a messy start to the year.

Since Rohl replaced Russell Martin, the Light Blues have been on a good run of form. They currently sit second in the table, trailing leaders Hearts by just a single point with six games left to play. While the title race is incredibly tight, the club are also busy managing one of their biggest squad shake-ups in a long time.

Stephenson Emerges and Tavernier’s Future Hangs in the Balance

According to Give Me Sport, Rangers are looking at Liverpool youngster Luca Stephenson for a summer move, potentially as the man to take over from James Tavernier at right-back. The report names Stephenson as the top target as Ibrox bosses plan for a future without their long-time captain. The 22-year-old has spent two seasons on loan at Dundee United and has been good this year, recording 10 goal contributions and proving he can play in several different roles.

Meanwhile, Tavernier’s contract at Ibrox runs out at the end of June. The report suggests there’s a growing sense that the 34-year-old, who hit his 144th goal for the club against Aberdeen last month, will be moving on. It’s becoming clear that his influence on the pitch is fading.

Tavernier has recently lost his starting right-back spot to Dujon Sterling. Many of his minutes lately have come as a right-sided centre-back in a back three, as his attacking threat isn’t quite what it used to be. For their part, Liverpool are reportedly open to letting Stephenson leave Anfield if the price is right, even though the youngster is well-regarded by the Premier League side.

Is Stephenson Ready to Fill Tavernier’s Boots for Rangers?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Luca Stephenson of Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao at Anfield on August 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The truth is, this deal looks great on paper, but Scottish football often shows how hard it is to turn potential into consistent results. Stephenson’s stats at Dundee United are very promising, and his 10 goal contributions put him well ahead of most loan players in the Premiership. Still, moving from Tannadice to Ibrox means dealing with a much higher level of pressure.

Interestingly, Stephenson has more non-penalty goals and assists than Tavernier in the league this season. When you consider that the Rangers captain has lost possession nearly 200 more times than the youngster, it suggests Stephenson would be a much more efficient fit for Rohl’s system.

That stat alone makes the move about performance rather than just getting older players off the books. Since Dujon Sterling has missed 36 matches through injury since the start of last season, mostly due to a recurring Achilles issue, bringing in a reliable, league-proven player like Stephenson isn’t just a good idea; it’s a must. Rohl seems like a manager who prefers hard data over sentiment, so I expect him to make sure this deal gets over the line before the window shuts.