Rangers fans are concerned about how they will fill the defensive void left by Connor Goldson with his likely departure.
And for £3.5 million the stopper proved a valuable part of the Steven Gerrard revolution with his incredible consistency during four years at Ibrox.
But when it comes to Gerrard’s best signing as Ibrox boss then, arguably, it’s a man who never pulled on the boots - or certainly not in a playing sense.
Given his managerial inexperience, it was vital that Gerrard got his backroom team spot on when he landed the Rangers job.
Gary McAllister offered that having played at the top level as a player and also various managerial and assistant roles.
However, it became clear very early on that the lesser-known Michael Beale was THE key appointment for Gerrard and regarded as the brains behind the whole coaching operation.
And it isn't just lip service. His "less stress" formation and tactical tweaks are grounded in every player knowing their job.
Beale's believes if his stars know their roles then they will have to run fewer yards and exert less energy by sticking to the principles.
That way of playing was never more apparent during a host of European displays to remember including wins over Braga, Porto and Galatasaray.
Players adore Beale's way of working and the Aston Villa boss is acutely aware of the loss which will be left.
Gerrard himself admitted it when speaking to The Robbie Fowler Podcast, saying: “It would take me 15 to 20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick because he's the expert.
"What I'll never do is try to do someone else's job when they are better than me at doing it. A lot of people won't have a clue what Michael Beale does on the training pitch, but what he does is really quite special.
“I haven’t had the luxury of retiring early from the game or not being a player, in terms of having that pitch time to really become a coach for the past 20 years like a Brendan Rodgers, a Mourinho or a Michael Beale.”
Gerrard might have had the stature that commanded instant respect from his dressing room but Beale quickly earned that from the players through his work on the training ground.
He often observed the game from the stand before making his way down to the technical area to suggest tactical tweaks.
It was no surprise that Beale followed Gerrard to Aston Villa when he left last November but there is speculation that the Londoner could now go it alone.
QPR are reportedly leading the race with Blackburn Rovers and Charlton, where he played as a youth player, also said to be in the hunt.
Gerrard isn’t surprised by links and previously said: “I’ll never stand in anyone’s way who doesn’t want to be a part of this journey, that’s for sure. That goes for staff or players.
“It’s no surprise that he’s linked with another club, I think that’s been the case since I’ve known Mick. He’s very highly thought of in the world of football, so I’m not surprised.”
But to lose Beale at this stage in his management career would be a huge blow for Gerrard given the role he has played in his success.
