THE word from sources at Ibrox was always the same. The club were 'relaxed' about their vice-captain Connor Goldson's future

You could not say the same for fans and onlookers, the Rangers Review included, who watched with unease as arguably the team's key player's contract ebbed away.

Goldson may have been heading into the final knockings of his deal but Rangers were certainly in no mood to let the big defender depart anywhere while his deal still had time to run.

The club were very happy with what the big Englishman had brought to the table since his move from Brighton and the £3m deal agreed with the Premier League outfit had provided top bang for their buck.

It seemed obvious that Goldson, with one last big contract left in him, would look to secure his family's future with a deal in the Premier League promised land or abroad where Turkish champions Trabzonspor have been touted as a potentially interested party.

But as is often the case with Rangers, what is obvious, doesn't always align with reality.

In the background, the 29-year-old has maintained a strong relationship with the club that has never wavered during the lengthy negotiations.

There has been understanding on all sides that a huge choice lay in front of the family man as he approached 30, a critical age for any footballer.

While the player didn't arrive as a Rangers fan, he and his family have grown to love the club and have become very settled in Glasgow life, but any deal would have to be the right one.

READ MORE: Giovanni van Bronckhorst acclaims Connor Goldson's 'outstanding leadership' as defender pens Rangers deal

Such contract conundrums are becoming more common in football as a general trend of top players running down their contracts has emerged. You don't have to look far to see even the biggest clubs in world football find themselves in similar situations.

Liverpool want star attacker Mohamed Salah to stay and the player wants to remain - but the elements have to be right. Football contracts are serious financial investments for all sides and need careful consideration. Rangers are far from immune to this reality.

As such, this complex four-year deal has been struck on the back of constant open dialogue going back many months. The intricacy and finesse required to leave all parties satisfied meant this was always going to take time and patience to agree.

The Rangers Review understands that the player's relationship with sporting director Ross Wilson is particularly strong and that has contributed to open and honest dialogue from the outset with their mutual respect apparent in negotiations.

While it wasn't easy, they have come to a final agreement that everyone is happy with.

The player has the security of a long-term deal that makes him one of the best-paid players in Scotland but crucially, while undoubtedly lucrative, the contract does not break the existing wage structure at Ibrox.

While Steven Gerrard, a boyhood hero of Goldson, was a key factor in persuading him north, the Englishman has also developed a strong bond with Giovanni van Bronckhorst despite a totally different management style.

The Dutchman pushed hard to retain his defensive leader because of the consistency and leadership he brings every day. It's understood that van Bronckhorst has forged a strong relationship with his vice-captain over the months since his appointment and the smooth succession seen despite significant change at the top has been part of his decision to stay.

From the manager's side of things, he simply sees the defender as crucial to his long-term plans for success.

Goldson's iron man durability has also been noted inside Ibrox and would have been near impossible to replace.

He's a physical specimen who looks after his conditioning fastidiously, misses no training sessions and has been essentially ever-present in the team since day one.

While John Souttar's arrival today was seen as a possible replacement, a player with the Scotland international's injury record can't realistically be expected to turn out for the 50 plus games that have been his new teammate's hallmark.

READ MORE: Connor Goldson commits future to Rangers by penning new four-year deal

What van Bronckhorst now has in abundance is options; manna from heaven for a tactical tinkerman who prizes the fluidity that allow him to utilise his cool as cucumber skills at changing games in real-time.

He can now set up with a back three or four equally comfortably and with a strength in depth that hasn't been seen at Ibrox in well over a decade.

The emergence of Leon King and the signing of Souttar add to the existing quality of Calvin Bassey and Filip Helander while Niko Katic is still on the books and will return from his loan deal in Croatia to be assessed in pre-season.

While Leon Balogun's future is yet to be resolved, James Sands and John Lundstram are very capable of stepping into the backline.

It's a level of depth that frees up the manager to focus his efforts on the crucial work of adding goals and assists to the mix in forward areas.

While there may be a substantial rebuild in the final third, van Bronckhorst can now get to work in the knowledge he has real stability in the foundations of the team.

Even if the huge, £25m plus offer comes in for Calvin Bassey that it would take to prize him away, there is unlikely to be much upheaval in the backline with Goldson and James Tavernier secured.

While future transfer offers remain speculation at this stage, what's certain as a result of the Goldson deal is if Rangers could afford to be relaxed before, they are certainly in a much better position to be so now.