Todd Cantwell has made it pertinently clear he doesn’t want to be at Rangers – but time is running out if the midfielder is to secure a move to Blackburn Rovers.
The English Championship side have reportedly agreed a £600k deal to bring Cantwell back to England with Rangers fans nervously awaiting an update.
Gers manager Philippe Clement has been clear that the club will need to ship players out before bringing anyone else in.
But with Rangers reportedly discussing a move for Albanian international Nadiem Bajrami, Blackburn’s manager has pulled the breaks on talk of Todd Cantwell’s imminent Ibrox exit.
John Eustace cools imminent Todd Cantwell arrival talk
Blackburn Rovers manager John Eustace has previously admitted being interested in raiding the Rangers squad this summer.
The ex-Birmingham boss claimed that Blackburn were interested in Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo as they looked to strengthen their own team.
But with Rangers reluctant to let Rabbi go, attentions have turned to Cantwell with all the reporting pointing to a deadline busting switch to Ewood Park.
Eustace himself even pointed to interest in Cantwell in the local press.
Now, Eustace has been talking to the Lancashire Telegraph and claims that for the time being, nothing is close to being signed off.
“There’s nothing at the moment, the recruitment team are in discussions with a number of players and we’ll have to see what happens,” Eustace said.
“I don’t believe anyone is having a medical, that I’m aware of. I think the most important thing is that we get the right players in.
“If there are any that come in and we think they can play and they beat the deadline, then great. If not, it’s most important we get the players in before the transfer deadline.
“The club are trying their hardest and they’re working their socks off. I am happy with that.”
Rangers midfielder fits ‘Championship’ profile
That doesn’t mean that Rangers midfielder Todd Cantwell won’t be moving to Blackburn Rovers this summer.
Far from it.
Eustace is clear that the club are on the hunt for players with Championship knowledge and Cantwell has plenty of it.
Having spent time with Norwich City in the English second flight, Todd Cantwell appears to tick a lot of boxes for Blackburn and Eustace has put the responsibility on the higher-ups to get transfers over the line before the window closes on Friday.
“If they’re good players, they’re good players,” Eustace said when asked about the profile of his targets.
“It is very important we have that knowledge in the Championship, without a shadow of a doubt.
“That knowledge can then be passed on to those players that don’t have that. It’s about getting the right blend in the squad.
“It’s about the right balance. We need the right characters that can also help with those who haven’t been in this environment, haven’t played three games in a week, help them through difficult moments. That’s what you need to get through it.
“I just wait and hopefully the deals get done.
“I will always speak to the players but I don’t get involved in the financial side. I want to build a relationship with the players and that’s all I can do and the rest is down to the club.”
