Rangers face a battle to sign Hearts defender John Souttar this summer. According to TEAMtalk, Derby County are now at the front of the queue for Souttar.
Derby manager Frank Lampard used to play alongside Rangers boss Steven Gerrard in midfield for England.
But now the pair of former central midfielders are set to go head-to-head in the race to sign Souttar from Hearts.
The 22-year-old defender is a wanted man this summer and Hearts have slapped a £5m price tag on him to ensure they do not lose their prize asset on the cheap.
With 32 games under his belt this season, Souttar has now played over 100 times for Hearts to go with his 73 games for Dundee United.
Despite his young age, he is approaching 200 senior appearances in the Scottish leagues and is a highly-rated defender.
The three-cap Scotland international operates at centre-half and Lampard is eyeing him as a replacement for Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori.
Rangers could still compete for the Scotsman’s signature and try to lure him to Ibrox as a replacement for Nottingham Forest loanee Joe Worrall.
But Souttar is said to be keen on a move to England and Derby could offer him Premier League football if they win promotion via the play-offs.