Southampton are in advanced talks to sign Dan Neil on a free transfer amid interest from Rangers, according to Sky Sports.
The 24-year-old former Sunderland captain is one of the most coveted out-of-contract properties in the EFL and the SPFL this summer.
While Rangers have spent weeks actively laying the groundwork to secure his signature, a late twist has thrown a massive spanner in the works.
According to respected Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, Southampton have aggressively jumped to the front of the queue, moving into advanced negotiations to snap up the midfielder on a Bosman deal.
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Sky Sports drop massive Dan Neil transfer twist
Taking to social media to share the exclusive breaking news, Downie outlined how Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has personally placed Neil at the very top of his summer recruitment wishlist.
Downie revealed that Neil is also the subject of interest from West Ham and Wolves, with the player having his “pick of top Championship clubs”.
Despite heavy interest from several clubs, Neil is now on the verge of putting pen to paper at St. Mary’s.
This means that Rangers face an incredibly uphill battle if they want to rescue their own transfer plans.
Despite late interest from Championship clubs like West Ham and Wolves, it appears the Saints have executed a swift and decisive manoeuvre to clear out the competition.
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If Southampton pull this off, it will represent a bitter pill for the recruitment team at Ibrox to swallow.
Rangers have been keeping a close eye on Neil’s contract situation at Sunderland for a while, with reports insisting that he is on the verge of moving to Glasgow.
With Nicolas Rasin and Mohamed Diomande expected to leave the Govan club, landing a proven leader with over 200 senior appearances for Sunderland for absolutely nothing in transfer fees would have been a masterstroke.
Instead, Southampton’s sudden, aggressive hijack has caught everyone off guard.
This suggests that Alan Nixon’s suspicion that Rangers are working on a mystery midfielder as their top target behind the scenes may actually be true.
