If a report from The Scottish Sun is believed to be true, Rangers are eyeing a swoop for Todd Cantwell. The Norwich City midfielder will be a free agent in the summer and the Gers are exploring whether to rope him in this month or strike a pre-contract agreement to have him as a free agent from next season onwards.
Rangers have made a blistering start under new boss Michael Beale who is slowly rebuilding an identity overcoming the agony of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s tenure. They only dropped a couple of points since the Englishman’s appointment as the Ibrox chief.
Despite having a nine-point cushion at the top of the Premiership standings, the Hoops are aggressively pursuing new names with three January signings announced. Alistair Johnston, Yuki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata have added more depth as well as quality in the defensive third and the champions of Scotland could tie down more players before the window is slammed shut.
Although the Light Blues are yet to bolster themselves this month, Beale’s words are indeed encouraging given the form and fitness woes the club has gone through since the inception of the ongoing campaign.
“The two or three players that I’ve spoken to are very keen to come – and sooner rather than later. Same on our side. But I’ve got to make sure they’re the right ones.”
Told the Rangers boss as he has indicated that he will only sign players who meet the specific criteria. Cantwell could be one of them as Beale is aware of his potential and has monitored him closely during his managerial stint at Queens Park Rangers.
Why Rangers Should Rope Him In
The 24-year-old former England youth international progressed through the Canaries youth ranks before breaking into their senior side five years back in a FA Cup tie against Chelsea. He earned a lot of accolades for his excellence in the 2019–20 Premier League campaign. The Norfolk-based outfit failed to retain top-flight existence, but the young playmaker played a key role in earning an immediate promotion under the then-boss Daniel Farke.
Meanwhile, Cantwell decided not to extend his stay at Carrow Road. This made him unsettled over the past couple of years and he failed to leave a similar impact in the top flight of English football. In spite of being a part of Bournemouth’s top-flight promotion after joining them on loan a year ago, the Cherries did not make the deal permanent back in the summer window.
He returned to his parent club who are once again fighting for promotion, but the midfield ace has only been deployed sporadically knowing his future lies elsewhere. He is comfortable as a ‘number 8’, ‘number 10’ and also from the left-hand flank, and his versatility should help him settle in Beale’s system in the long run.
