Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers side have been touted as a potential destination for a top-flight central midfielder at the end of the season.

The Chronicle have namedropped the Gers and Celtic as clubs who could land Newcastle United gem Sean Longstaff on a pre-contract deal in January, although it is unclear whether this is pure speculation or based around interest from the two Scottish giants.

Get it done

If this is a deal the club are lining up, van Bronckhorst must sanction the move and ensure that Ross Wilson is able to get it over the line in the coming weeks heading into January. His contract situation at St. James' Park provides them with the perfect opportunity to pick up a bargain and it could be a shrewd deal for Rangers.

He is out of contract next summer and the Gers could land a pre-contract agreement with him in January, which would then allow him to join without the club paying a single penny in transfer fees at the end of the campaign.

Transfermarkt value him at £13.5m, suggesting that Rangers could save a huge amount of cash by signing him on a free. Therefore, it could be a fantastic swoop for the Scottish outfit from a financial viewpoint and could free up funds for Wilson to invest in other areas of the club.

In terms of his ability on the pitch, he has earned some high praise. Former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick previously lauded his attributes. The current Old Trafford coach said:

“Sean is a fantastic ­talent and doing well at the ­moment. He hasn’t played a awful lot of games yet, but the ­future is bright for him.

“I don’t like ­comparing his playing style to mine. It is not fair on Sean. He is ­carving his own career out. He has his own traits and strengths. I ­always enjoy seeing young ­players getting a chance."

The £23k-per-week gem has made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, scoring once in 11 matches. This shows that he has the tenacity and strength to win the ball back consistently in the English top-flight, which is a quality he could bring to Ibrox.

At the age of 24, he also has plenty of room left to grow and develop as a player over the years. Therefore, he could be a superb signing for the here and now and the future, which is why the Rangers boss must sanction a deal for the Newcastle midfielder in January ahead of him arriving next summer.

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