Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement might not be in charge at Ibrox for the majority of the January transfer window, especially if the club suffers yet another defeat to Celtic on Thursday afternoon.
The Premiership title race will definitely be over should this occur, but given the fact the Gers are currently trailing their rivals by 14 points, and it isn’t even January yet, many of the supporters believe that the manager should have been sacked already.
Whatever happens over the next few weeks, the Light Blues must bring in some quality during the winter window to bolster the side. Not only that, but several members of the side need to be moved on.
Naturally, the rumour mill has already started with regard to potential incomings and one player that has been linked recently is shining in the Championship.
Rangers showing an interest in signing Championship midfielder
According to journalist Graeme Bailey,, Rangers have an interest in signing Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill on a pre-contract agreement next month.
The Englishman is about to enter the final six months of his current deal with the Turf Moor side, which means clubs can offer him a contract when the January window opens.
Bailey claims in the report that Lazio and Fiorentina have both made pre-contract offers to the midfielder, while English clubs such as Everton, West Ham United and Brentford will have to wait until the summer to make an approach for the player.
Celtic are also showing interest, and it is clear that the Light Blues have plenty of competition if they wish to bring Brownhill north of the border, especially with Premier League sides and clubs from the continent sniffing around.
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Over the years, the Gers have had some success with signing players on a pre-contract when the winter window opens. The likes of Dado Prso, Jean-Alain Boumsong and John Souttar moved to Rangers this way in the past.
If the club do manage to sign the Burnley star, however, it could turn out to be a repeat of the move to sign Scott Arfield back in 2018, who moved to Scotland once his contract expired.
Scott Arfield’s Rangers statistics
Arfield became one of Steven Gerrard’s first signings when he moved to Ibrox and, given the fact that he had played nearly 200 games for Burnley, with 86 of these coming in the Premier League, the move was an inspired one.
During his first season, the Scottish-born Canadian international midfielder registered 19 goal contributions – 12 goals and seven assists – across 46 matches, adding some much-needed dynamism in the final third.
This would be a recurring theme during his spell with the club, as Arfield would add quality whenever he was called upon, endearing himself to the supporters in the process.
Overall, Arfield made a total of 233 competitive appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 43 goals and chipping in with 19 assists. He was a key part of the teams that won the Premiership title in 2021 and the Scottish Cup a year later.
He left at the end of the 2022/23 season following the expiration of his contract, but there was no doubting how good a signing Arfield was for the club, especially with his impact on the pitch.
Brownhill could certainly offer the same sort of qualities that Arfield did during his time in Scotland and if the Gers could bring him in for free, it would be a wise piece of transfer business. That’s a certainty.
Why Josh Brownhill would be a good signing for Rangers
Before moving to Burnley in January 2020, Brownhill was a key player at Bristol City, and he once earned some interesting praise from Lee Johnson, his former manager at the club, back in 2019.
“First and foremost, Josh is just an unbelievable lad. He’s been a very good student and I took him on loan to Barnsley and could see a superstar in the making,” said Johnson.
“He’s got a goal in him, he has good set-piece delivery and free-kicks from the edge of the box. He’s the first in and last out and every day he comes in and tries to get better. He must go down as one of the value signings in Bristol City’s history.”
Since moving to Turf Moor, the midfielder has been impressive for the club, making 111 appearances in the Premier League during that time.
Burnley suffered relegation last season, but in the Championship this term, the 29-year-old has been in excellent form. Not only has he missed just one league match all season, but the midfielder has found the back of the net on nine occasions, while grabbing three assists in the process.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
35
4
3
2022/23
48
7
10
2021/22
38
2
3
2020/21
36
1
1
2019/20
10
0
0
Brownhill has also created three big chances in the second tier along with averaging one key pass and averaging 1.9 shots per game, indicating how vital he has become for the club in the final third.
When compared to his positional peers in the Championship this term, the former Bristol City star currently ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.32), in the top 9% for total shots (1.9) and in the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (2.44) per 90.
These statistics prove he is among one of the finest midfielders in the Championship, especially with regard to these attacking metrics, and he could be a wonderful addition to the Rangers team.
Building a squad which has excellent depth is now the main priority for the club, with players such as Kieran Dowell clearly not good enough to be squad members.
Bringing in someone like Brownhill, who has a wealth of experience in England, would allow the Gers to sign a quality midfielder for nothing. He may be nearing the end of his career rather than the start, but when finances are tight, making new signings who don’t cost a penny could be the way forward.
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