Rangers Renew Interest in Windass Amidst Wrexham's Resistance

Rangers have gone back to an old flame. Again.

According to talkSPORT, the Ibrox club have formally stepped up their interest in Wrexham forward Windass ahead of the summer window, marking a third attempt to bring him back to Glasgow after his spell between 2016 and 2018.

This time, there is a new figure driving the chase. Danny Rohl, installed to overhaul a squad that limped to a third-place finish behind Celtic and Hearts, is pushing hard. He knows exactly what he is trying to buy. At Sheffield Wednesday, Rohl watched Windass flourish, the forward rattling in 50 goals under his watch and growing into the kind of prolific, all-action attacker Rangers now lack.

The profile fits the brief: proven, versatile, and with a history at Ibrox. The problem? Wrexham have absolutely no need to sell.

Windass loyal to the Wrexham project

If Rangers are banking on sentiment, Windass’ own words point in the opposite direction.

Named Wrexham’s Player of the Season after a standout campaign, the 30-year-old has nailed his colours to the Hollywood-backed mast at the Racecourse Ground. Speaking to talkSPORT earlier this month, he underlined that commitment.

“Yeah, I signed a three-year deal in the summer. I feel like I had a really good year this year, and yeah, hopefully next year we can go one better.”

That does not sound like a man angling for the first flight back to Glasgow.

Wrexham’s stance backs that up. The Welsh club knocked back a formal approach from Rangers in January and have shown no sign of softening. Internally, they see Windass as central to a squad being built not just to compete, but to finally crack the Championship play-offs.

They have the numbers to justify digging in. Windass delivered a historic individual season, supplying five assists and a club-record 16 Championship goals in 41 league games. Those are not easily replaced, especially for a side trying to close a “narrow gap” to the top six.

Contract power and transfer tension

The contract situation tilts the leverage heavily towards Wrexham. Windass is tied down until 2028, giving the Red Dragons a powerful hand at the negotiating table.

They can afford to wait. They can afford to say no.

Transfer specialist Ben Jacobs reports that, despite Rangers formalising their interest, direct club-to-club talks have not yet begun. For now, this is still a pursuit in motion rather than a deal in progress.

Any bid will have to reflect the reality of that 2028 end date. Wrexham’s owners have no incentive to entertain cut-price offers, especially with the player at the peak of his influence and popularity. If Rangers want him, they will need to pay a premium, not just for his goals but for the disruption his departure would cause to a carefully plotted rise up the divisions.

Rohl’s rebuild and the Shankland factor

At Ibrox, the need for change is urgent. Finishing behind Hearts as well as Celtic has sharpened the mood around the club and left Rohl with a clear mandate: reshape the attack, raise the level.

The pursuit of Windass is only one strand of that plan. Rangers are already deep in talks for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland, a proven finisher in the Scottish Premiership and a more straightforward deal in terms of geography and familiarity.

Land both, and Rohl suddenly has a very different front line: Shankland as the penalty-box predator, Windass as the dynamic, hard-running forward who can play across the line and link with midfield. Miss out on one, and the rebuild looks less convincing.

Rangers know all of this. Wrexham know all of this. So does Windass.

The question now is simple and brutal: how much are Rangers prepared to push, and at what price will Wrexham finally decide that even their Player of the Season can be sacrificed for the next step of their project?