For those of a Rangers persuasion, this has been a chaotic season. Can you ever remember one quite like it? Whichever way you turn, something dramatic has been occurring.
Well, with the January window now here, Danny Rohl and those at Ibrox will be hoping for a bit of stability. The opportunity to welcome new players into the fold is a timely one.
It’s safe to say those in charge of the recruitment are wasting no time getting their hands dirty in 2026, with two players already set to put pen to paper in Glasgow.
Rangers looking to sign English midfielder
The Gers have had a busy opening 11 days of the transfer window and they are set to tie up two new deals in the coming days with Belgian full-back Tuur Rommens due to sign.
Yet, he is not the only one. Indeed, Rangers are due to snap up a £7m double deal to welcome not just Rommens into the fold but also Sturm Graz midfielder Tochi Chukwuani who will move to Scotland for a fee of around £4m.
Rangers will not stop there in their pursuit of bolstering the centre of the pitch. According to the Scottish Sun, they have cast their eyes in the direction of Sunderland’s Dan Neil.
In fact, the Sun even suggests they are ‘closing in’ on the 24-year-old. The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and thus, could move on the cheap this winter, or on a free when his deal at the Stadium of Light expires.
Rangers have reportedly already held talks about signing the player on a pre-contract.
Why Neil would be a better signing than Chukwuani and Rommens
With Rangers sat third in the table, new recruits have never been more needed at Ibrox, particularly when you consider the start to the season they have endured.
Chukwuani and Rommens will add stronger depth at left-back and in midfield but it’s Neil who would be the stand-out addition here given his pedigree.
While Chukwuani and Rommens will need more time to adapt given they’ll be arriving from Austria and Belgium, Neil won’t need much time to at all considering how he’s starred in the English Football League.
Hailed as a “phenomenal” player by Doncaster Rovers’ Luke Molyneux, he played a huge role in helping Sunderland earn promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last season.
While Luke O’Nien was club captain, it was Neil who usually wore the armband on the field. He missed just one game of the regular league season, featuring for a whopping 3,882 minutes before the play-offs occurred.
To put those numbers into context, no player played more minutes for the Black Cats than Neil throughout 2024/25. So, what went wrong for the holding midfield player?
|
Dan Neil scout report |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
# |
|
Goals |
0.05 |
|
Assists |
0.07 |
|
Pass success |
83.1% |
|
Key passes |
0.72 |
|
Tackles |
1.88 |
|
Interceptions |
1.07 |
|
Take-ons attempted |
1.93 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5.85 |
|
Stats from Championship 24/25. |
|
Well, Sunderland made some big signings over the summer, notably Granit Xhaka. Thus, Neil has become expendable and that could be to Rangers’ advantage.
Last season, he was easily one of the best midfield players in the Championship and was arguably playing at a higher level than both Chukwuani and Rommens.
More of a holding midfielder by trade, he won’t score you too many goals but his technical ability is exceptional and he’s a fantastic leader of men.
Not only would Rohl be adding a player capable of dictating play and breaking things up, but he’d be adding potentially a new captain to the mix.
Rangers may not have always got things right when acquiring new talent from England – just think Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell – but Neil is wise beyond his years, he’s a mature head. This would be a fantastic signing, particularly if they get it done on a free transfer.
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