How Rangers can already upgrade on Dan Neil

Glasgow Rangers supporters got to experience something that has become rare in the age of social media: a surprise signing in the summer transfer window.

The Light Blues officially confirmed the signing of central midfielder Dan Neil on a free transfer after his contract with Premier League side Sunderland expired.

He has put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the club to bolster Derek McInnes’ options in the middle of the park, but there was little build-up to his unveiling.

The English central midfielder had been linked with a move to Ibrox earlier in the transfer window, yet reports in recent days had suggested that he was closing in on a switch to Southampton in the Championship.

That made his unveiling as a Rangers player on Wednesday morning almost a complete surprise, and it will now be interesting to see how he fares at Ibrox.

Rangers preparing offer to sign Serie A talent

The 24-year-old talent won promotion to the Premier League on loan at Ipswich Town in the 2025/26 campaign, but they opted against signing him on a permanent basis for their top-flight season.

Now, the Scottish Premiership giants are already looking at another midfield addition who could come through the door as an even better option than Neil.

According to il Corriere di Bologna, via Calcio Bologna, Glasgow Rangers are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign central midfielder Lewis Ferguson from Bologna in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Derek McInnes wants to sign the Scotland international and is preparing to make a ‘big’ offer to bring him to Ibrox in the coming weeks.

It adds, though, that Real Betis, Roma, and Atalanta, who can all offer football in a major European league, are also looking at a possible move for the former Aberdeen star.

The outlet also reveals that Bologna want a fee of around £17m for the Scottish ace and that the Gers may have to include Nicolas Raskin, who is wanted by the Italian side, to make a deal affordable.

What Rangers’ pursuit of Lewis Ferguson means for Dan Neil

Neil’s ambitions of making it into the starting line-up on a regular basis at Ibrox could already suffer a blow if the Light Blues are able to bring Ferguson back to Glasgow.

With Tochi Chukwuani seemingly nailed down as one of the starting midfielders, having been signed in January to offer physicality in midfield, Neil and Ferguson could end up fighting for the same position if Raskin moves to Bologna as part of the deal.

The Scotland international’s performances at the World Cup, despite the country’s disappointing exit at the group stage, show that he can deliver impressive displays at the top level.

He showed quality and composure both on and off the ball in the middle of the park against some high-quality opponents in Morocco and Brazil, which should not have come as too much of a surprise given his pedigree in the Serie A.

Ferguson has played 106 matches in the Serie A, captaining Bologna, and produced 15 goals and five assists for the Italian side, since his move from Aberdeen in 2022.

Neil, meanwhile, was not deemed good enough to perform for Sunderland in the Premier League, playing 13 minutes in the first-half of last season, before being sent out on loan to Ipswich in the Championship.

Whilst playing for the Tractor Boys, the 24-year-old talent completed 82% of his attempted passes, making 21 per game on average, and only won 54% of his ground duels in the second tier.

Ferguson’s performances at the World Cup suggest that he would be a much better option than Neil in the middle of the park with both his use of the ball as a passer and with his defensive contributions.

That is further backed up by the fact that he completed 88% of his attempted passes in the Serie A for Bologna last season, after completing 89% of them in the division in the 2024/25 campaign.

That is on top of Ferguson having proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues, as well as at the World Cup, whilst Neil was not deemed ready to play meaningful minutes for a newly-promoted side in the Premier League.

All of this evidence suggests that the Scotland international would arrive at Ibrox as a much better central midfield option than Neil for McInnes, which could leave the former Black Cats man in a curious position.

Whilst there will still be all to play for and plenty of matches to get minutes, the Englishman could be on the back foot already when it comes to starting games on a regular basis if the Gers bring Ferguson in this summer.