Alright, so Cammy Devlin, Nicolas Raskin, Dan Neil, and Connor Barron are all staring down one defensive midfielder role at Rangers right now. Seriously, one spot! Devlin, the 28-year-old Aussie, couldn’t even hide a wry smile when someone asked if he was a surefire starter after switching from Hearts this summer. It’s wild. Even after just getting back from the World Cup, his first few training sessions were a stark reminder of the absolute flood of players already gunning for those central midfield spots.
The Raskin Riddle And Devlin’s Dive In
Devlin was a key player for Hearts in their title challenge, and Rangers snapping him up for free? That’s a solid move, especially with the midfield looking like a revolving door. But the biggest name swirling around the Ibrox engine room is probably Nicolas Raskin. This Belgium international absolutely lit up the World Cup, getting rave reviews in that defensive midfield role, which is what he prefers. The twist? He’s actually looked more effective for Rangers pushing forward. And here’s the kicker: Raskin has straight-up said he wants to move to a top-five league, so it’s looking like Rangers will try to cash in on him this summer. With Raskin’s likely exit, bringing in Devlin makes total sense.
A Full House For Derek McInnes
But wait, there’s more! Rangers didn’t just stop at Devlin. They also brought in two other defensive midfielders: Dan Neil, who was out of contract with Sunderland, and Vanja Dragojevic, a 20-year-old captain bought from Partizan. So that’s three new defensive midfielders for a team that already had six on the books, not even counting the three returning loanees. New manager Derek McInnes has some serious choices to make. You can pretty much discount Thelo Aasgaard and Nedim Bajrami from this particular defensive battle since they’re attacking mids. Jose Cifuentes, Lyall Cameron, and Paul Nsio are back from loans but haven’t shown they’re ready. Mohamed Diomande is more of a box-to-box guy whose form dipped last season. Connor Barron, a Scotland cap, must be buzzing with his old Aberdeen manager coming in, but man, the competition is stiff! McInnes hopes to finalize a couple more deals, not necessarily midfielders, before the season kicks off.
This Friday evening, Rangers start their season away to Dundee United. McInnes has got to sort out this midfield puzzle, and fast. What a way to kick off the season, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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