Rangers are interested in Cardiff City's Ciaron Brown and continue to monitor developments as to his future, GIVEMESPORT can exclusively reveal.
What's the latest Rangers transfer news?
While the transfer window does not open again until the dawn of January, the current regime at Ibrox have shown a willingness to move for players coming towards the end of their contracts ahead of time.
Indeed, although deals for the likes of Jack Simpson and Scott Wright were brought forward, they were initially signed with a view to a future move. Nnamdi Ofoborh, meanwhile, penned a pre-contract at Ibrox in February.
Cardiff defender Brown is in talks with his current employers over the prospect of fresh terms but, as it stands, is keen on exploring all of the options available to him.
When does Ciaron Brown's Cardiff contract expire?
Currently, the 23-year-old will see his contract expire in the Welsh capital in the summer of 2022.
In January, he will be able to talk to foreign clubs, making him a potentially attractive target for the Scottish champions as they look to continue building under Steven Gerrard. Having missed out on Champions League qualification, bringing in an international defender with so much of his career ahead of him would be a particularly shrewd move.
Would Brown be a good signing for Rangers?
On paper, he certainly would appear to be.
The Northern Ireland international was recalled from a loan spell at Livingston after a number of impressive performances, starting 11 of the Bluebirds' final 12 games in the 2020/21 Championship campaign.
Able to operate at either left-back or in central defence, Brown averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.2 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game for Cardiff last season (via WhoScored). At Livingston, those averages stood at 1.6, 1.3 and 2 respectively.
Clearly, it's not as simple as easily translating that into a Rangers context were he to move to Ibrox, though they would have seen him rank within the top five defenders at the club last time out.
What has been said about Ciaron Brown?
Speaking amid interest in the player from Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough in August, Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy talked of his desire to keep Brown.
"His agent is doing a good job isn’t he?!" he said (via Wales Online).
"I did say, and I’m not in the habit of messing around or spreading bull, Middlesbrough offered and it’s not enough.
"If they offer the amount the club wants, then they might decide to sell him.
"If not then he will stay until next year and he will leave on a free transfer if he does not sign a new contract, which he has been offered.
"There has been one other club interested in him, to my knowledge, because I’ve spoken to that club."