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Rangers are “ready to sign” new star for Rohl
The January transfer window is only a couple of weeks away from opening for business and there could be activity in and out of Glasgow Rangers as Danny Rohl looks to shape his squad.
One player who looks set to move on from Ibrox is central midfielder Joe Rothwell. Sheffield United are reportedly confident of getting a deal done for the 30-year-old flop.
The summer signing from Bournemouth was not included in the matchday squad for Monday night’s clash with Hibernian, with the Blades pushing to bring him back to England next month.
Rangers ready to sign new central midfielder
Rothwell leaving the Scottish Premiership giants would free up a space in the squad for the Gers, who are already reportedly looking at a potential replacement for the Englishman.
According to Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis, Glasgow Rangers are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Pierre Ekwah on a free transfer in the January transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Gers, Udinese, and a mystery club are “ready to sign” the former West Ham and Sunderland talent to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Denis’ Foot Mercato report adds that Saint-Etienne are still disputing the midfielder’s decision to break his contract with the club in the summer, after he decided not to play in Ligue 2 despite the fact that the French side took up their option to sign him permanently from Sunderland.
This means that Rangers and Udinese, the two teams named, have a chance to sign him on a free transfer next month, which they are said to be ready to take advantage of.
Why Rangers should sign Pierre Ekwah
The Gers should sign the 23-year-old talent because he could be the dream replacement for Rothwell, should the experienced flop end up signing for Sheffield United or another club.
As a free agent, Ekwah is an ideal signing to replace the Englishman because the Gers would not have to pay a transfer fee, potentially saving them millions of pounds, as it is rare for a young and top level experienced midfielder to be available on a free in the January window.
Ekwah was playing regular Ligue 1 football, in one of the top leagues in Europe, as recently as last season, and his performances in that division suggest that he would be an excellent signing for Rangers.
|
Stats |
Ekwah (24/25 Ligue 1) |
Rothwell (25/26 Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
8 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
3.6 |
1.9 |
|
Clearances per game |
2.5 |
0.1 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
54% |
47% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
71% |
50% |
|
Duels won per game |
5.0 |
2.0 |
Rothwell has struggled with the physicality of Scottish football, as shown by his ground duel success rate, and the statistics in the table above show that the Frenchman would not have the same problems.
Ekwah, who was described as “powerful” and a “beautiful” footballer by journalist Josh Bunting, has the physical and defensive attributes to be the midfield powerhouse that Rothwell has been unable to be for the Scottish giants.
As well as possessing impressive physical qualities, the French central midfielder’s form for Sunderland in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he can also make an impact on matches in possession.
The left-footed star, who also showcases his physical attributes in the clip above, scored five goals and provided two assists in 37 league starts for the Black Cats, per Sofascore, to earn his move to Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2024.
Ekwah also completed 86% of his attempted passes in midfield in the Championship that season, per Sofascore, which shows that he can also be reliable as a passer, making him a complete midfielder who can provide quality in all phases of the game.
At the age of 23, the former West Ham academy graduate has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that he could also be a future asset for Rangers, who could sell him on further down the line if he performs well enough in Glasgow.
Therefore, the free agent star could be the perfect replacement for Rothwell, because of the finances involved, or not involved, his physical and technical qualities, and his age profile.
Worse signing than Chermiti: English club pushing to sign Rangers flop
An English club are pushing to sign a Rangers flop who has been an even worse signing than Youssef Chermiti.
It is now down to Rohl and the board to convince Ekwah to turn down Udinese and any other interested parties to make the move to Ibrox next month.
