RANGERS are closing in on appointing Michael Beale as their new manager.

The Ibrox club started their hunt for a new boss after cutting ties with Giovanni van Bronckhorst this week.

The Dutchman was axed after a string of poor results domestically and in Europe and Beale now looks the man to replace him.

Since Van Bronckhorst's sacking, the club have only released one club statement announcing the news.

They also confirmed that the search for a new manager was well underway and an announcement could be made as early as the end of this week.

They said: "Rangers Football Club confirms today it has parted company with manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The board would like to put on record sincere thanks to Gio for all his efforts since his appointment as manager.

"Arriving at the club just over a year ago, Gio led the club to a fifth European final and won the Scottish Cup last May. He also led the team to the club’s first Champions League qualification in 12 years.

"Unfortunately, results and performances over recent months haven’t met expectations and the decision was made today by the board to terminate the contract of the manager.

"The search for the new manager is now underway."

After assisting Steven Gerrard at Ibrox, Beale conducted the same role as the management team headed to the Premier League with Aston Villa.

He then went his own way as he began working as a manager in his own right at Loftus Road with QPR.

Beale recently rejected an approach from Wolves to manage in the Premier League, but the lure of Rangers could be too much for the Englishman.

Meanwhile, Kenny Miller believes Beale should feature prominently on the shortlist to replace Van Bronckhorst.

“There’s loads of names that spring to mind, you’ve got the likes of Sean Dyche who’s got connections to (Rangers sporting director) Ross Wilson, the same with Ralph Hasenhuttl,” Miller told Sky Sports.

“One for me that would be right at the top of the list would be Michael Beale. His name’s been bandied about over the last month while Rangers have been toiling.

“I think he fits, he knows the club, he knows the players. There would be no surprises with him walking back into the building in terms of the demands and the expectations of the football club and he’s started off his own journey as a manager pretty well as well so I think he’d be right at the top of the list.”

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