Olwethu Makhanya has arguably been the best player for Rangers so far, having hit the ground running in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers fans were gutted after AC Milan hijacked the Light Blues’ pursuit of Sankhoun Diawara in the summer transfer window. However, those worries have been buried by Makhanya, who has been a revelation since his £3million arrival from Philadelphia Union.

The South Africa international has started in all but two of Rangers’ games across all competitions this season. Such has been his impact that some fans have already likened him to John Greig, but Ibrox icon Richard Gough has been dropping comments on his Instagram posts.

However, former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has admitted that he harbours serious concerns over the club’s long-term chances of retaining Makhanya, as exit fears begin to emerge around Ibrox following the defender’s stellar form.

Barry Ferguson fears imminent Olwethu Makhanya exit from Rangers

Speaking on the latest episode of the 5 Stars podcast, Ferguson could not hide his admiration for the South African centre-back. While praising the defender’s rapid adaptation to Scottish football, the Ibrox hero warned that Makhanya’s high-level displays will inevitably trigger interest from larger clubs across Europe, making a future departure difficult to avoid.

Evaluating Makhanya’s performances so far this season, Ferguson praised the composure and trajectory of the defender, noting that his game is elevating with every passing week:

I’ve got to be honest with you, [Makhanya is] an absolute Rolls-Royce. He’s been immense. And do you know what? Each game, I think he’s just getting better and better. I do.

However, that glowing appraisal quickly turned into a sobering transfer prediction regarding the reality of Rangers’ position in the modern European football market.

Ferguson explained that when a relative bargain player excels at Ibrox, top-five league scouts quickly gather, making a future sale almost guaranteed and bringing exit fears to the forefront:

I just worry because when you tend to do really well up here, you’re obviously going to get people having a look. But again, that’s what Rangers are. You bring in a player for £3-3.5m, and he’s been exceptional, and if he continues, I think Rangers are going to find it hard to keep a hold of him.

With Makhanya continuing to anchor the Gers’ backline with maturity beyond his years, Ferguson’s prediction serves as both a celebration of Rangers’ recruitment success and a warning of the inevitable transfer battles ahead.

While it is certain that Rangers stand to pocket a hefty profit on Makhanya, whose market value has quadrupled since the start of the season, Derek McInnes will be hoping to retain him at least until the end of the season, as the Light Blues push for the Premiership title.