Rangers are weighing up a season-long loan move for Aston Villa and Serbia right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic, with the 20-year-old emerging as a possible addition as the Scottish club continue to build out their squad.
Nedeljkovic is highly regarded at Villa Park, but Unai Emery is understood to see him as a player for the future rather than someone who is currently ahead of Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa in the specialist right-back role. That has opened the door to another move away, with Rangers now assessing whether he can be the right fit for their own plans.
Why Rangers are looking at Nedeljkovic
The right side of defence has been one of Rangers' key areas this summer. Dujon Sterling, Vanja Dragojevic and Ross McCrorie have all been used at right-back in the opening matches, while the club have already added nine new players across the window.
McCrorie, who joined from Bristol City for £900,000, is among those new arrivals, but Rangers are still looking at ways to strengthen before the season settles into its full rhythm. Derek McInnes has made clear that the squad is still a work in progress, saying the team needs to improve in a lot of areas and that further signings are expected to make the group stronger as the month goes on.
For Rangers, a loan move for Nedeljkovic would bring in a player with top-level pedigree and room to grow. For Villa, it would likely represent another step in a development path that has already included time away from the club.
Nedeljkovic's recent background
Aston Villa paid Red Star Belgrade £8m for Nedeljkovic in 2024, and he has since spent the past two campaigns on loan at RB Leipzig in Germany. Last term, he made five Bundesliga appearances.
He has also already been capped 11 times by Serbia, underlining why he remains an intriguing young defender despite limited league involvement last season. Earlier this month, he started for Villa against Indonesia All-Stars in Jakarta and assisted the opening goal in a 3-1 win.
That combination of age, international experience and potential makes him a notable target for Rangers. The question now is whether the clubs can turn that interest into a season-long loan agreement before the window moves on.
