Rangers expected to agree deal with Hearts boss Derek McInnes in next 48 hours

A seismic shift is underway in Scottish football management as Hearts boss Derek McInnes is reportedly set to agree a deal with Rangers within the next 48 hours, triggering a significant compensation payout to his current club. This rapid appointment comes as current Rangers manager Danny Rohl is on the cusp of joining Austrian football giants RB Salzburg, marking a swift end to his eight-month tenure at Ibrox. The double managerial move underscores the fluid nature of top-tier football, with substantial six and seven-figure compensation fee changing hands between the clubs involved. The stakes are high for all parties; McInnes guided Hearts to a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership last season, nearly clinching their first title since 1960, even after the club lost influential captain Lawrence Shankland to Rangers on a free transfer earlier this month. Meanwhile, Rohl, despite leading Rangers into a title challenge, ultimately saw their bid collapse in the final weeks, finishing third behind Celtic and Hearts. His impending move to RB Salzburg is reportedly championed by Red Bull's global football chief, Jurgen Klopp, and represents a return to the Red Bull Group, where Rohl previously held coaching roles at RB Leipzig. As final details are ironed out, both clubs are racing against the clock for pre-season preparations, with Rangers aiming to have McInnes in place before their squad reports on June 22. Hearts, now facing their second high-profile departure this summer, are leveraging data-driven recruitment through Jamestown Analytics to identify a successor to McInnes, who previously rejected a move to Ibrox in 2017. The swift conclusion of these deals will set the stage for a compelling 2026-27 season in both the Scottish Premiership and the Austrian Bundesliga, with new leadership tasked with immediate success.