By George Overhill

22nd Jan, 2023 | 9:30pm

Todd Cantwell, Morgan Whittaker and Nicolas Raskin could be announced at Rangers this week

Rangers “very possibly” could be announcing three January transfer arrivals in the next week, in the words of commentator Rory Hamilton.

A deal for Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell is thought to be fully tied up [The 4th Official, 20 January], while Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin was reported to have already passed a medical at Ibrox [Le Soir, 20 January], although there is less clarity on Swansea winger Morgan Whittaker.

He was absent from Russell Martin’s squad at the weekend despite the manager’s claims that he doesn’t expect a deal to get done, but as Rangers played out a scruffy 1-0 win in the Scottish Cup at St Johnstone Hamilton suggested that all three could be unveiled in Glasgow within a week.

Speaking on the Viaplay commentary for the match on Saturday night (21 January, 6.41pm) he said: “The belief is that two, possibly three, deals could be very close, perhaps announced in the next week. Todd Cantwell, Morgan Whittaker and Nicolas Raskin are very possibly coming to Ibrox.”

Stephen Craigan then remarked that the Rangers manager “clearly wants to lower the average age” of his squad based on the three players’ ages.

Trio

Transfer dealings are frequently very secretive affairs so the openness with which Michael Beale and various on-air contributors have spoken about the potential arrivals at Ibrox has been a surprise.

Often, most are unwilling to talk in specifics until there is a fair likelihood that deals are either done or well on the way, so the fact that there is such confidence to discuss these players at Rangers, at Swansea, or during broadcasts should be a positive sign for the Light Blues.

Beale appears to have been enjoying himself during the window, giving off a surprisingly comfortable exterior despite the majority of the month having passed without an official unveiling.

He has at times suggested he won’t speak about players who he is after but then hasn’t been able to contain himself within a couple of sentences.

So he is either supremely confident that he will get his transfer targets before the window shuts or he is displaying a cavalier attitude to negotiations that is rarely seen.

QPR fans might have some input on what to take from the Gers boss’ public statements, but since he returned to Ibrox he has been remarkably capable of backing up his words, so the club may be close to a triple boost.

In other Rangers news, a celebrity supporter has revealed himself as a big fan of the club.