Daniel Feliciano

Tue 28 November 2023 15:41, UK

Rangers want to sign England’s Under-17 forward Mason Cotcher after he was invited to train with Arsenal’s senior team by Mikel Arteta, according to The Telegraph.

Writing on their official website (28 November), journalist Mike McGrath reports that the light blues are interested in a deal, with compensation to his former club Sunderland likely to be much lower for a “cross-border” switch.

But Arsenal are also interested in signing him and Arteta has had him involved in first-team sessions with the Gunners as they try to convince him to put pen-to-paper on a deal.

“England U17 forward Mason Cotcher has been training with the first-team squad at Arsenal after leaving Sunderland,” he wrote.

“Rangers are also interested in signing the 17-year-old and moving “cross-border” to Scotland would be for much lower compensation than to an English team. Mikel Arteta invited him for sessions with his senior players last week.”

Talent

Rangers have always had a good eye for signing young talent, but it’s difficult to compete with the super-rich clubs south of the border.

Arsenal are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world and financially we can’t match what they’re able to offer the player, but simultaneously they can’t offer him the pathway to first-team football that we can.

Cotcher is clearly a very talented young player having notched a goal and assist in two Under-18 games for Arsenal while on trial there, and he’s done enough to impress Arteta and get a nod for some first-team sessions during the international break.

This is a great opportunity for Rangers to move and offer him more than that, and in the meantime tie down one of the hottest talents in the UK to the club.

He would be a project for the future, but he wouldn’t have to look too far to see a path to the first team at Ibrox. Just ask Ross McCausland how possible it is.

In other Rangers news, official club partner rages after ‘Poor’ fraw v Aberdeen as players get blasted.