Considine is on Rangers’ shopping list
MARK WARBURTON is ready to plug the holes in his defence.
And one man believed to be on his shopping list is Aberdeen stopper, Andrew Considine.
The 29-year-old will be out of contract in the summer, and the Dons may be keen to cash in on him now rather than see him exit for nothing at the end of the season.
Considine has been at Pittodrie his entire career, and was granted a testimonial nearly two years ago.
The son of Aberdeen defender, Doug, who played for the club under Alex Ferguson, Considine won four Scotland under21 caps early in his career.
Although Warburton has other areas in the team he would happily strengthen, Rangers’ last two games have shown up the need for a central defender.
No Rangers’ player got a touch when Moussa Dembele thrashed home a vicious drive to cancel out Kenny Miller’s early strike in the Old Firm Hogmanay clash.
Even worse was to follow, when a lack of awareness in the six-yard box left Scott Sinclair to pop in what proved to be the winner.
And with accidentprone Rob Kiernan waiting to hear the extent of his ban after an off-theball bust-up against St Johnstone, Warburton’s options are starting to narrow.
It was Kiernan’s sloppy back-pass at McDiarmid Park last month that presented the Perth men with an equaliser and denied Rangers a vital three points.
Aberdeen would know letting a player move to one of their main rivals would be unpopular with supporters, especially in mid-season.
But there is precedent, with Ricky Foster allowed to go on a season-long loan to Rangers in 2010, with Light Blues striker, Andrius Velicka, moving in the opposite direction.
Aberdeen-born Considine has been at Pittodrie for 12 seasons, and has been a regular this season.
If he is to try football away from the Granite City, this move will be his big chance.
Enhanced wages will not be a problem for Rangers, despite the financial restrictions on Mark Warburton’s transfer dealings.
Considine is one of five Dons first-team squad members needing new deals in the summer.
Warburton is also an admirer of skipper Ryan Jack and darting wide man, Niall McGinn.
But the move to clinch 6’4” Considine is the priority for the former Brentford boss.