MANCHESTER City youth chief Mark Allen is set to take the Rangers reins and become the new director of football at Ibrox.
The National understands Allen is the man that the Gers board have chosen to head up their football operation as they finalise their off-field structure.
Allen has been Academy Director at City since Sheikh Mansour bought the club and has overseen a series of successes at youth level in recent years.
The official line from Rangers yesterday evening was that they would “not comment on speculation” but it is believed that Allen is now poised to take up a key position at Ibrox.
After bringing the curtain down on his playing career with Swindon Town in the early 80s, Allen spent four years at the United States University in San Diego on a Business Administration with Accounting course.
He would return to the game with City eight years ago after spells as Managing Director of Broadcast Services with MTV Europe and as a Managing Director with Deluxe Digital London.
City have invested heavily in their youth structure over the last few years, with Allen at the heart of their plans to produce their own stars of the future.
Now he will be tasked with implementing his ideas at Ibrox and will work closely with boss Pedro Caixinha, Head of Academy Craig Mulholland and the Light Blues board.
It is Caixinha that has been at the forefront of the rebuilding job in recent weeks as he has added five players – Bruno Alves, Ryan Jack, Fabio Cardoso, Dalcio and Daniel Candeias – to his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Rangers have also agreed deals with Mexican pair Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera and Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos and will confirm their captures once their work permit paperwork has been cleared.
And they could be followed into Ibrox by Graham Dorrans and Jamie Walker as Caixinha continues his pursuit of another two summer recruits.
It was revealed on yesterday that Norwich had rejected a bid in the region of £1 million for midfielder Dorrans but the Light Blues are poised to return to strike a deal.
Fresh talks will also have to be held with Hearts if Walker is to make the move from Tynecastle this summer after an initial approach was rebuffed by the Jambos board.
Walker has 12 months left on his contract but Hearts have admitted they will reluctantly listen to offers for the 23-year-old after he rejected a deal that would have made him the highest paid player at the club.
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