Rangers eye summer swoop for 6ft “great talent”, he could be Cantwell 2.0 for Clement – opinion

Rangers eye summer swoop for 6ft “great talent”, he could be Cantwell 2.0 for Clement – opinion

Glasgow Rangers made it four wins from four since returning from the winter break with a comfortable win against Livingston at the weekend.

The Gers didn’t need to shift out of third gear to secure all three points, and Philippe Clement even gave January signing Oscar Cortes his debut.

The youthful winger was signed on loan from RC Lens near the close of the winter transfer window,

and despite only three new players, Clement appeared pleased with his roster.

All eyes will be on the summer transfer market now, and it appears that the Light Blues already have one target in mind.

Rangers focus their emphasis on the summer transfer window

According to Football Insider, Rangers are interested in signing Stoke City forward Tyrese Campbell during the summer.

According to the story, the Gers were interested in bringing him to Ibrox four years ago, but no deal was made; may they attempt again now that the season is over?

Campbell was connected with a move to Hellas Verona last month, with Stoke rejecting a proposal of £1 million.

Given that he is out of contract at the end of the current season, it was an odd decision,

especially because he has yet to sign a new contract with the club.

This may encourage Clement to explore a pre-contract swoop for the forward, as he aspires  to bolster his attacking options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

If Campbell’s move is successful, he might follow in the footsteps of Todd Cantwell,

who joined from the Championship and has grown as a vital player under the Belgian boss since he took over last year.

Todd Cantwell’s Season in Numbers

The Englishman signed from Norwich City just over a year ago, and by May 2023, he had clearly justified Michael Beale’s £1.5 million transfer cost.

Cantwell scored six goals and assisted five times in his first four months, indicating that he quickly adapted to life north of the border.

The first few months of the current season were a little difficult, as Cantwell missed a few games due to injury, waiting until the beginning of November to establish his account in 2023/24.

Since then, the former Norwich sensation has had a more flexible role as a number 10 in Clement’s tactical style, which has brought out the best in Cantwell.

Indeed, in 15 Premier League games under the 49-year-old manager, the attacking midfielder has four goals and three assists, indicating that he is just starting to peak at the ideal time.

There is no doubt his performances have improved over the recent several weeks, and it finally appears that the Ibrox side are going through the gears as they target a treble.

Todd Cantwell’s domestic statistics since joining Rangers	2022/23	2023/24
Goals	6	4
Assists	4	3
Key passes per game	1.3	1.5
Big chances created	5	1
Successful dribbles per game	1.5	1.2
Via sportviewers

By making a play for Campbell, Clement may be able to capture another Cantwell-type figure, especially because he appears to need a fresh start to develop on his early potential.

Rangers may emulate Cantwell’s blinding performance by signing Campbell.

Since his debut in Stoke’s penultimate Premier League season in 2017/18, the 24-year-old has made over 150 appearances, scoring 34 goals and assisting 20 times in six years.

The 6 foot jewel may not be the most productive in the box, but his adaptability could be what Clement is most interested in, as the Englishman has appeared on both sides multiple times in his career and, if push comes to shove, he could even possibly drop slightly deeper.

He has missed six games this season due to a hip injury, leaving him with only 14 appearances in all competitions and two goals.

He did, however, have a productive season in 2022/23, scoring nine goals in the Championship and assisting six times in all competitions, demonstrating that when the forward is fit, he can provide a reliable offensive threat.

Among the Stoke squad last season, Campbell ranked first for goals and assists (14) in the Championship, while also ranking first for shots per game (two), third for big chances created (six), and second for successful dribbles per game (0.8), demonstrating his all-round ability and that his game is more than just goals.

Campbell outperformed not only his own teammates, but also his positional contemporaries in the men’s next 14 competitions, ranking high across a variety of measures.

Indeed, the striker ranked in the top 1% for progressive carries per 90 (3.91), the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.4), the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.77), and the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.31), demonstrating that he is more than just a penalty box poacher, being able to link up well with teammates and create a plethora of opportunities during a game.

Campbell was recently lauded as a “great talent” by football writer Ollie Walton, and he could be the type of player Clement is looking for, especially since he is free.

With Kemar Roofe out of contract this summer and Fabio Silva returning to Wolverhampton Wanderers after his loan term ends, the Gers need attacking depth.

Cantwell has loved his time at the Light Blues since leaving a squad where he was visibly suffering, and Campbell might follow in his shoes this summer.

With European football available, as well as the opportunity to win trophies and play in front of a packed Ibrox every other week, relocating to Scotland does not seem too awful.

With the team competing on both domestic and European fronts in the coming weeks, Clement has the opportunity to return the club to the top tier of Scottish football.

If he does, the former Club Brugge manager may have more flexibility in the summer transfer window, as well as a somewhat larger budget, which might be crucial in securing a return to the Champions League.

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