Sports
Rangers want to sign the SPFL’s “best midfielder”
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be delighted that it has been a quiet January transfer window in terms of interest in his players from elsewhere.
None of his current stars have been the subject of significant speculation over their future at Ibrox, which means that the squad is unlikely to be ripped apart ahead of the second half of the season.
Nicolas Raskin was recently linked with a move to Turkish giants Besiktas, but it was claimed at the same time that the Belgian midfielder is not interested in signing for the Super Lig outfit.
This means that the Belgium international does not look set to move on from Ibrox before the end of the January transfer window, in a boost to the German manager.
Whilst Rohl may be delighted to keep hold of the former Standard Liege star, the Light Blues boss is still looking to make another addition to his midfield unit.
Rangers looking at deal for Premiership star
Despite the signing of Tochi Chukwuani from Sturm Graz earlier this month and Raskin rejecting a move to Besiktas, the Gers are reportedly eyeing up a midfield star from the Scottish Premiership.
According to journalist Andy Devlin, Glasgow Rangers are interested in a move to sign Motherwell central midfielder Elliot Watt, but it remains to be seen which window they are hoping to land him in.
Speaking on the Go Ballistic podcast YouTube channel, Devlin said: “Elliot Watt is a player Rangers are looking at. Whether he makes the move in the summer, I think that is one to watch. Rohl is an admirer of Watt, so when you have provincial teams doing well, the manager Jens Berthel Askou is going to attract attention, and it’s the same with strikers.”
The reporter has made it clear that the Light Blues manager is a fan of the Scottish star, whose contract at Fir Park expires in the summer of 2026, with an option to extend it by a further 12 months.
However, as Devlin outlined, it is unclear as to whether the club will make a move for Watt in the current window or if they will wait until the summer to attempt to bring him to Ibrox.
Why Rangers should sign Elliot Watt now
Instead of waiting until the summer, the Gers should splash the cash and pay whatever fee Motherwell want for the midfield star, as their asking price is yet to be revealed, because he would be their greatest midfielder since Joe Aribo.
The Light Blues sold the Nigeria international to Southampton for a fee of £6m in the summer of 2022, just months after he scored in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, and he is the most expensive midfield sale for the club in the past 20 years.
Aribo scored 26 goals and provided 25 assists in 149 appearances, per Transfermarkt, as a powerful central midfielder who provided a big threat in the final third, whilst also offering a physical presence on the pitch.
Watt’s performances in the Premiership for Motherwell this season suggest that he has the quality to be as good, or even better, than Aribo was for Rangers, whilst being better than the club’s current midfield options as well.
Rangers supporter and RangersJournal creator Kai Watson described the 25-year-old star as “best midfielder in the league“, and that stacks up when you compare him to the best midfield operators at Ibrox.
|
25/26 Premiership |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
4 |
Raskin – 2 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.4 |
Raskin – 1.5 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
3.5 |
Raskin – 3.0 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
8.6 |
Raskin – 4.2 |
|
Touches per game |
102.9 |
Raskin – 73.3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, Raskin is the standout midfield star for Rangers in a host of metrics, hence why Besiktas were keen to sign him, but Watt still looks like a superior option.
The Scottish star offers a similar threat at the top end of the pitch, with four goals and 1.4 key passes per game, but he also provides more quality out of possession for his side.
These statistics show that Watt, like Aribo, is an incredibly well-rounded midfield star who can impact games with his offensive talent, his physicality, and his defensive ability, although the former Gers star was not known for the last part.
Overall, though, the proven Premiership performer could be a brilliant addition to the squad because he has been a better all-round midfielder than Raskin, and could be the club’s best midfielder since Aribo, if he can carry his form for Motherwell over to Ibrox.
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