He’s like prime Ryan Jack: Rangers in active talks to sign English star

The season had barely ended when Rangers announced they had agreed a deal to sign Lawrence Shankland from one of their Premiership title rivals.

At long last the Scot was on his way to Ibrox. For a boyhood fan of the club, the forward has regularly been linked with a move to Glasgow but always ended up remaining in Edinburgh.

Well, the winds of change are here and Shankland has swapped Hearts for Rangers, joining on a free transfer. That’s not a bad bit of business, is it?

However, since the Scottish striker’s arrival, there hasn’t been much movement on the transfer front. Considering how the season ended, it’s imperative they get a few more new bodies through the door in the coming weeks.

Rangers looking to bag another free transfer

Shanklands’ arrival in Glasgow could well be a game-changer for Danny Rohl’s side but it’s not enough. Indeed, the Gers simply have to strengthen right across the pitch.

Where they do add bodies, however, may well depend on who exits. If Nico Raskin departs then it may well free up the room for someone like Elliot Watt to make the move.

Rangers are after a central defender but if Emmanuel Fernandez departs, it will only heighten the need for a player such as Luke Graham to arrive. The Gers want him and have reportedly already held talks regarding a move.

In midfield, Watt could well be joined for Sunderland’s Dan Neil. It’s no secret that the Premiership side want to sign him this summer and it makes sense given the lack of transfer fee.

The Mackems star is out of contract at the end of the month and like Shankland, could move on a free transfer.

The latest on Rangers’ pursuit of Neil comes from TEAMtalk who report that they are in ‘active discussions’ with the player’s camp to seal a move.

Despite interest from elsewhere, including Hull City and Middlesbrough, the recruitment team at Ibrox are ‘hopeful’ of being able to convince him to head to Scotland.

Rangers are said to be ‘pushing hard’ to get a deal done and would like to get clarity on his future swiftly.

Why Neil could be Rangers’ new Ryan Jack

55 feels like a long time ago now, doesn’t it? The Steven Gerrard days are long in the past and since winning the title back in 2020/21, the Gers have struggled to mount a consistent title charge.

The Europa League final a year after was a special occasion, even if they did lose, but not since those campaigns have supporters enjoyed such consistency and organisation in the team.

A big reason for their success in those two campaigns was midfielder Ryan Jack. The Scot was not the flashiest of players, far from it. However in the proccess of making nine starts en-route to that European showpiece and starting 16 of the 19 games he was available for in the title-winning season, Jack was vitally important.

A deeper midfielder who was not often involved in the final third, the now 34-year-old only scored 16 times in 210 outings for Rangers. Yet, his lack of impact further forward mattered not when you consider how well he performed his duties elsewhere.

Jack was always a composed figure in the middle, completing 90% of his passes. He also did the dirty work well too, winning 2.3 duels per 90. A lot of what the midfielder did were things you don’t see in highlights reels.

A very organised and tidy player, Neil is cut from a similar cloth. As he captained Sunderland to promotion glory in 2024/25, the Black Cats star completed 84% of his passes and like Jack in his prime, did not really have a say in the final third.

Across both of the seasons analysed, they scored just two goals each. Indeed, it’s what they do as sitting midfielders that make them such standout players.

As Jack was, Neil is a real battler in the middle of the park. A relentlessly hard worker, the Sunderland man is a tireless presence in the engine room and won as many as 4.8 duels per 90. That tally is inflinated by the amount of defensive work he had to do in comparison to those at Rangers who dominate more of the ball but it’s a strong point of reference.

Judging by that, there is a sense that if Neil made the move across the border he could have a similar pack to Jack. In a more ball dominant side the 24-year-old has proven he’s capable of ticking things over metronomically in midfield.