Rangers line up move to sign the SPFL’s “best midfielder”

The World Cup hasn’t even kicked off yet but Rangers have started the summer transfer window with an almighty bang.

In truth, the Ibrox side needed to do so. The way in which they ended the domestic season was horrendous, surrendering their bid to win the Premiership in the final few weeks.

Therefore, the arrival of Lawrence Shankland is a huge boost. He was one of the main reasons behind Hearts’ unprecedented title charge so to pick up arguably their best player is a major coup.

That said, it was never really in doubt, was it? The striker is a Gers fan and he’s been linked with trading Edinburgh for Glasgow for a number of years now.

So, after Shankland, who could be next? Well, Dan Neil’s name continues to do the rounds.

Rangers could sign another midfielder alongside Neil

Shankland’s move to Ibrox was sorted quicker than you can say the word Rangers. Within the space of a few hours it felt like everything was arranged and in place.

After welcoming a striker, sorting out the midfield remains a priority, irrespective of whether Nico Raskin descides to leave Danny Rohl’s side.

Neil could well be the second arrival of the summer. Reports last week suggested the Gers were in talks to sign the player from Sunderland and that a deal was actually edging closer to completion. There hasn’t been much news on his prospective move this week so far.

The 24-year-old is not the only central player on the Light Blues’ radar. Indeed, according to Chris Jack of the Rangers review, Elliot Watt is also being lined up for a move.

Jack notes that the Motherwell star is one of the names ‘under consideration’ but no approach has been made to the Premiership side just yet.

So, between the two of them, who would be the better acquisition?

Why Watt would be a better signing than Neil

On paper, signing a player from an established Premier League side looks like a smart move. However, the fact of the matter is that Neil has not actually played much football in the last year.

He would bring excellent leadership skills having previously captained Sunderland but after their promotion to the English top-flight, the midfielder only saw 13 minutes of league action. He was in the matchday squad on 22 occasions but was used as a sub on just three occasions.

A loan move in January to Ipswich promised greater times for Neil and while he did achieve promotion with the Tractor Boys, he was not a regular once again, starting eight of the 18 matches he was there for.

There are further concerns from supporters when it comes to players they have previously signed with Championship experience in recent years. Todd Cantwell and Joe Rothwell are hardly held in too high regard at Ibrox.

It feels lazy to suggest Neil would follow in the footsteps of those two but Premiership-proven players do matter and Watt is one of those.

It’s abundantly clear that Rangers need to get better when it comes to recruitment and by luring the ‘Well midfielder to Ibrox, it would be a great first step in the right direction.

Heralded as the “best midfielder in the league” by analyst and writer Kai Watson, the numbers certainly support that claim.

He’s not a dogged ball winner but rather he keeps things ticking over excellently in the middle of the park. In that regard, he could make a fabulous replacement for Raskin if he does leave Scotland this summer.

Averaging a mammoth 97.1 touches per game in 2025/26, no midfielder made more accurate passes in the whole league (2,347). The next best was Callum McGregor with 2,306. No player in the Premiership completed more long balls (6.6) per match while Watt also ranked highly for key passes per game. Only 14 midfielders made more.

Further to that, while average match ratings are not the be all and end all, his rating of 7.69 via Sofascore was the best of any player in Scotland’s top-flight.

This is a player who is at the top of his game. He’s not been a spare part like Neil but he’s starring and doing so in the Premiership too.

Aged 26, Watt is now in the prime of his career and it feels like the time is precisely right for him to move to one of the big boys in Scotland. Rangers should be that club.