Ian McCall, a close ally of Derek McInnes, has gone public with whispers he heard about defender Scott McKenna joining Rangers. The former Dundee United boss, who signed McInnes in 2003 and made him his captain, reckons the Rangers manager will be eyeing a centre-back he can "trust" following the opening-day draw at Tannadice.
McCall specifically highlighted McKenna – who played under McInnes during his time as Aberdeen boss – as a "rumour" he has heard. The 29-year-old, formerly of Aberdeen, Nottingham Forest and Las Palmas, landed his first league winners' medal with Dinamo Zagreb last season.
Following an injury-hampered World Cup with Scotland, McKenna has returned to his club and is preparing for the upcoming Champions League qualifiers.
Centre-back crisis at Rangers
Rangers are facing a shortage at the heart of their defence. Ben Godfrey looks set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knock against United, while McInnes confirmed after the game that Olwethu Makhanya may be unable to get a visa for the upcoming Europa League qualifier with Jagiellonia Białystok in Poland.
McCall: McInnes needs someone he can trust
Speaking to BBC Sportsound, McCall said: "There is a lot of things to fix, and I still think you will see not just a lot of comings but goings as well, maybe three or four."
"I expect [Nico] Raskin if there was a bid, he would leave. I think Derek will have a pretty sure idea of what is required."
"Whether that is good enough to win the league and do well in Europe in his first season, who knows. I think they will be realistic title contenders. Listen, last season going into the split they were realistic title contenders, they were only a point off the top, and then it all went pear-shaped."
"But for me they will definitely still be title contenders, but there is still work to be done."
"The one thing Derek is, is that he is very shrewd with who he brings in. The one thing managers like with a centre-back is if they can trust them, really trust them in the game. I think he needs one that he can really trust."
"I don't know who that may be, we heard rumours of big [Scott] McKenna coming - I don't know if that's a goer, but I know Derek trusts him."
"They need to get some pace into the team in the forward areas. I hate to have a go, but I think Russell Martin and Wilfried Nancy last season are two cases in point where they have tried to implement 20 things in a week."
"I just don't think you can do that, you have to get the building blocks in. As I say, be really, really solid and make sure you keep clean sheets while you are building your style of play. I know that is something Derek is very aware of, and I think that is something he is very good at."
