Everton transfer powerbroker 'liked' by Rangers as Wolves set to hinder possible Kevin Thelwell reunion

Rangers hopes of reuniting Kevin Thelwell with a key behind the scenes man at Everton could be hampered by Wolves.

The Toffees director of football will leave Goodison Park at the end of the season and head for Rangers in a sporting director role. It’s part of sweeping changes at Ibrox amid the proposed takeover by 49ers Enterprises but another Everton man in Dan Purdy is also on their radar.

He has been their head of recruitment since 2022 and been in Merseyside after initially joining as an intern first team performance analyst in 2014. Purdy is another set to leave Everton at the end of the season.

Where Everton transfer chief could go amid Rangers interest

According to Alan Nixon in the Sun, the transfer powerbroker at Everton is ‘off’ with Wolves looking the likeliest at this stage to grab him. That said, Rangers and Crystal Palace both have him earmarked, with Thelwell mentioned in the claim. It reads: “Everton chief scout Dan Purdy is off - with Wolves his likely destination. His job was up for review but new CEO Angus Kinnear wanted to keep him. Purdy, 31, was chasing the Crystal Palace vacancy and is liked by Rangers, who have just made ex-Toffee Kevin Thelwell their new sporting director.”

Thelwell said of his move to Rangers’ website: “This is a huge honour for me to be joining a club with the size, stature and expectations of Rangers. From the first conversations, it was clear to me how ambitious the club is, and I’m excited to play a part in shaping its next chapter.

“I know how much Rangers means to so many people, and that brings both responsibility and motivation. Rangers needs to win. That’s the bottom line. There’s a strong foundation already in place, and I look forward to working closely with the teams across the men’s, women’s and academy programmes to build something that delivers consistently. Of course, there’s important work ahead, especially in men’s first-team structure but we’ll approach it with energy and purpose. While change takes time, I’m confident that we can make real progress. I can’t wait to get started.”

Why Rangers appointed Kevin Thelwell

For Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart, there are some obvious reasons for why they have gone for the outgoing Everton leader to be their sporting director, namely his experience in big leagues. He said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Kevin to the club following a rigorous recruitment process.

“Our Football Review quickly identified the need to appoint a Sporting Director, and in Kevin, we have found an outstanding candidate with terrific experience in the Premier League and the MLS. It will be the role of Kevin, with the full support of myself and the board to lead our football department and deliver the results our supporters expect and deserve.”

Recruitment is something that will come under the microscope this summer. Rangers will finish this season without a trophy after poor performance on the domestic front over this campaign.