Alan Hutton says Josh Doig would be ideal left-back

“He would come back a better player having played in Italy and you’d think defensively, he would be learning week in, week out. I think he would do a really good job.

“It looks like Barisic will be out of contract at the end of the season. Yilmaz was looking like the guy who was going to take over from him but he has been a little bit in and out. But he has had some really good performances the last few games.

“It was interesting to watch him against Kilmarnock. He played a little more inside the pitch. He has come on to a game and if he was to go, they have to bring someone in.”

Hutton believes up front is the key transfer priority for Philippe Clement with Cyriel Dessers struggling to win over the Rangers fans and Danilo and Kemar Roofe missing much of the campaign so far through injury.

Sam Lammers is another attacking summer signing who has struggled to make an impact and he has been linked with a move to Utrecht.

Hutton, who was promoting the upcoming Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth-round fixtures, which see Rangers travel to Dumbarton, has been encouraged by manager Clement’s impact, having only lost to Celtic since replacing Michael Beale.

“You can’t not be impressed,” he said. “Winning the League Cup and getting into the last 16 of the Europa League by winning that group was massive for them.

“But just in general, their play has changed under the new manager. The only blip was against Celtic.

“Rangers are closing the gap in my opinion. It’s not as big as it was in previous seasons. It’s close now, it’s small margins between them – as we saw in the Old Firm game.