Dundee United's efforts to tie down Republic of Ireland international Will Ferry to a new deal have hit a pause, with the 25-year-old defender choosing not to rush into any commitment this month.
According to reports, Ferry has put discussions over his future at Tannadice on hold, indicating that September is not the time for him to make a definitive call on where his career goes next. The full-back, who has established himself as a key figure for the Tangerines and earned international recognition with the Republic of Ireland, is understood to be weighing up his options rather than closing the door on an extension.
Importantly for United, Ferry has not ruled out the possibility of staying beyond the end of his current contract next summer. That leaves the door open for the club to continue negotiations in the coming months, even if no immediate resolution appears imminent. His situation will be one to watch as the season progresses, with his current deal edging closer to its expiry date and interest likely to grow from elsewhere if matters remain unresolved.
For Dundee United, retaining players of Ferry's quality is a priority, particularly given his importance to the squad's defensive setup. However, the club will also be mindful that dragging out contract talks can sometimes lead to complications, especially if other suitors emerge while the player assesses his future. For now, though, both parties appear to be in no rush, with Ferry seemingly comfortable taking his time before committing to any next step.
Elsewhere in Scottish football, Rangers vice-captain Dan Neil has been reflecting on his side's difficult European campaign, which saw the Ibrox club exit both the Europa League and the Conference League earlier this season. Neil admitted that the squad may not have been fully prepared for the demands of continental competition when those fixtures arrived.
"Rangers probably weren't ready for" the challenges posed by European football at that stage of the season, Neil said, acknowledging the shortcomings that contributed to the club's early exits from both tournaments.
The comments come as something of a rare public admission from within the Rangers camp about the struggles the team faced on the continental stage, a campaign that fell well short of expectations for a club with Rangers' European pedigree. The exits from both the Europa League and Conference League routes left supporters frustrated, given the resources and ambition invested in reaching those competitions in the first place.
Neil's honesty about the squad's readiness offers some insight into the internal reflection taking place at Ibrox as the club looks to regroup domestically. With European football now off the agenda for the remainder of the campaign, attention will turn fully to the Scottish Premiership and domestic cup competitions, where Rangers will be eager to demonstrate the kind of consistency and preparation that was seemingly lacking in their European fixtures.
Both storylines - Ferry's contract situation at Dundee United and Rangers' post-mortem on their European struggles - will continue to develop as the season unfolds, with fans of both clubs keeping a close eye on how things play out in the weeks ahead.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport, The Courier, Daily Record, and The Sun.