Ferguson stayed at Bologna despite Rangers links and still dreams of Ibrox return

Lewis Ferguson said on 28 September 2026 that he was never close to leaving Bologna this summer despite reported interest from his boyhood club Rangers. The Scotland midfielder, 27, added he still harbours hopes of returning to Ibrox at some stage in his career.

Ferguson was released by Rangers at 14 and made his way to Serie A in 2022 via Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen. He has captained Bologna since 2023 and led them to their first Coppa Italia in over 50 years in 2025. Last season his starts became sparse under Vincenzo Italiano, making just 17 in the league.

Asked about links to Rangers, Ferguson said: "I had a long think after the World Cup about my future and I was a little bit unsure but nothing was ever that close." He described returning for pre-season under a new coach as a reset, saying: "When I went back for pre-season, we had a new manager [Domenico Tedesco] and it was like a fresh start. "We changed again since [with Raffaele Palladino], so I've had three new managers in the last two months [including Sebastien Pocognoli with Scotland]."

Ferguson said he ultimately decided to remain at Bologna. "I had a long think about what my future was going to look like and in the end it was still at Bologna. "I've loved every moment that I've had there. "It was just about continuing that journey and seeing where it takes me." He has played every minute of Bologna's five Serie A games so far this season.

His family have deep ties to Rangers: his father, Derek, and uncle, Barry, both played for the club, with Barry captaining and at one stage managing at Ibrox. In July, newly-installed Rangers manager Derek McInnes spoke of an "obvious link" with Ferguson, having worked with the player at Aberdeen.

On his bond with Rangers, Ferguson said: "It's no secret that I grew up a fan and my family is involved in the club. "It was a dream of mine as a kid and that's not changed but I don't want to speak about that while I'm a player at Bologna. "In the future, you never know. It might happen, it might not, but it's always been something in the back of mind." He is under contract until 2028 with the option of a further year.