Rangers suffer transfer blow for outgoing Sunderland target as Premier League new boys 'complicate' efforts
Middlesbrough are also in the hunt for the midfielder
Rangers transfer target Dan Neil has reportedly become the subject of interest from Hull City - who have the Premier League carrot to dangle ahead of their competitors.
The Sunderland midfielder will be available on a free transfer in the summer when his contract runs out, with Rangers and Middlesbrough circling. Now that Premier League-bound Hull are involved, it poses a significant threat to Danny Rohl’s pursuit. Neil spent his last season at the Stadium of Light on loan at Ipswich Town, who also earned promotion from the second tier.
Having previously captained the Black Cats to the top flight too, the 24-year old would be bringing leadership qualities to Ibrox - something manager Rohl has put heavy emphasis on for the summer rebuild. The Light Blues have already added Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland to their ranks. However, with the outside noise only growing in decibels for Neil, who snubbed a transfer to Ibrox in January, more complications have been added.
Rangers suffer hammer blow for Neil
According to TeamTalk: “Rangers have been in active discussions with the midfielder and are hopeful of convincing him to move to Scotland. The Ibrox club have been pushing hard in recent weeks and would like clarity on his future as soon as possible. But Hull City are now emerging as serious contenders and are showing strong interest in Neil and are assessing whether to formalise their pursuit in the coming weeks. While Rangers remain firmly in the hunt and continue to push for an answer, the prospect of Premier League football could complicate their efforts.”
Hull’s sudden interest also will add to salt to the wounds of Middlesbrough, who they defeated 1-0 in the Play-off final thanks to a last minute winner from Rangers-daft striker Oli McBurnie. Neil will now assess his options and is no rush to make a decision on his future. Overall, he made over 200 appearances for Sunderland over his eight years in the first team and helped them reach the Premier League from EFL League One.
Why did Neil choose Ipswich over Rangers in January?
After making the short-term switch to the Tractor Boys during the winter, Neil said: “I’ve been at Sunderland for a very long time and it was an unbelievable chapter in my life and career but I’m ready for the next chapter now. After a lot of thought, it was clear Ipswich would be the perfect fit for that.
“The way the manager wants to play football and the way I like to play is the same, basically, and it’s a great fit for me to keep developing as a player while hopefully also achieving some success here. I’m a central midfielder who likes to get on the ball and tries to dictate games as much as I can. But I’ve also learnt over the years that the out-of-possession stuff is just as important, especially in this division. I’m vocal in terms of organising the team and those are probably my main qualities.”
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