Rangers and West Ham United are locked in an exciting multi-club battle to sign Dan Neil on a free transfer, according to Ben Jacobs.
The 24-year-old maestro is officially on the open market as he looks set to leave Sunderland when his contract expires at the end of the month.
Having previously captained his boyhood club and accumulated over 200 senior appearances for the Black Cats, Neil is carefully plotting his next destination.
According to a direct update from Jacobs, a fascinating tug-of-war is rapidly materialising as clubs across both sides of the border look to capitalise on his premium free-agent status.
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Ben Jacobs drops definitive Dan Neil transfer news
Taking to X to outline the emerging market for the central midfielder, Jacobs revealed that dynamic options are opening up in the Premier League, Championship and the Scottish Premiership.
Apart from Rangers and West Ham, Premier League newcomers Hull City are also in the race to sign the former Ipswich Town loanee.
“Understand West Ham, Rangers and Hull City are all exploring signing free agent Dan Neil”, Jacobs wrote.
Rangers have been credited with an interest in signing Neil all summer, with some reports insisting that the midfielder is on the verge of putting pen to paper on a contract at Ibrox.
Alan Nixon previously reported that only certain details of the agreement were left to be ironed out before suggesting the Gers may be only viewing the departing Sunderland ace as a backup plan.
Nevertheless, it appears the Light Blues are still in the mix for Neil after Derek McInnes‘ appointment, although they now face competition from West Ham and Hull City.
Neil spent the second half of last season on loan at Ipswich, featuring 17 times across all competitions and helping them earn promotion to the top tier.
However, a return to the Tractor Boys is not on the cards, as things stand.
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Why Dan Neil is the ultimate no-brainer scoop for Rangers
For all three interested parties, securing a player of Neil’s pedigree without paying a single penny in transfer fees is a total bargain in squad building.
At 24, his absolute peak years are firmly ahead of him, and he boasts the rare leadership profile of a player who has already shouldered the pressure of captaining a massive club.
For Rangers manager McInnes, winning this race would be massive.
Landing the Englishman on a Bosman deal would immediately inject significant competition into the Ibrox engine room while allowing Andrew Cavenagh and Co. to preserve vital cash reserves for high-ticket recruits elsewhere.
