Rangers are to secure Blackburn midfielder Joe Rothwell on a pre-contract in January, according to reports, fending off 6 PL sides including high-flyers Brighton.
The 26-year old cropped up in the past few weeks as one Steven Gerrard is interested in, and with the Championship man out of contract next summer the deal could go through in January aka Jack Simpson and Scott Wright.
Rangers certainly need more resources in midfield, with a glut of injuries and unsettled form leading the manager to want to bring more talent in, and Rothwell is certainly cropping up time and time again.
Mostly experienced in England’s second tier, he’s also had time in the PL2 and League One, and is interesting Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and others, but is reported to prefer to join Steven Gerrard at the Scottish champions.
His manager Tony Mowbray appears desperate to keep him away from Rangers by saying the following:
“Joe is a super talent, you don’t need me to tell you that. I’m trying to get him coveted by the Premier League because he’s talent is Premier League talent. If he doesn’t have the work or a brain that anticipates and reads situations with the ability to take it off the opposition, he won’t get there on talent alone. I’m trying to tell him that if he wants to earn, and as I’ve said before with some of the young players that are 18, 19 and 20 earning money we can only dream of, why can’t Joe Rothwell go and earn it? Why can’t he go and do what Adam Armstrong’s just done?”
And with 6 PL teams looking at him, as well as Rangers, Mowbray is desperate to keep him out of Steven Gerrard’s clutches, because he appears to recognise what a quality of player Rothwell is.
Question is, if he’s as good as Mowbray reckons, why haven’t any PL sides snapped him up before now?
Still, an uncovered gem would be perfect for Stevie. Especially for free.