Mohamed Diomande will surely fear the worst as Rangers close in on ‘phenomenal’ talent
Rangers are gearing up for a title charge in the Scottish Premiership, and ambition is being shown in the January transfer window.
The Light Blues are close to signing a new left-back to rival Jayden Meghoma after a £3million bid was accepted for Westerlo talent Tuur Rommens.
Rangers have also agreed a £4m deal to sign Tochi Chukwuani from Sturm Graz to bolster the options in Danny Rohl’s engine room following Connor Barron’s long-term injury.
That is arguably why the potential arrival of Chukwuani could see another midfielder arrive through the doors at Ibrox in the shape of Sunderland’s Dan Neil.
Mohamed Diomande could miss out with Dan Neil’s arrival
According to reports, Rangers are closing in on loan moves for Neil and teammate Romaine Mundle as part of a sensational double deal.
While Mundle will offer strong competition out wide, promotion-winning captain Neil will bring a wealth of quality and experience to the middle of the park.
The 24-year-old has made 201 senior appearances for Sunderland, but only three of those have come since his side won promotion to the Premier League in May after dropping down the pecking order.
🔵 As Rangers close in on a £7m double deal for Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani, Sky Sports News understands the Ibrox side have also made enquiries to Sunderland for duo Dan Neil and Romaine Mundle.
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 9, 2026
More – https://t.co/WlG7rdF2RM pic.twitter.com/9KdHmVb16N
Should the Englishman complete his move north of the border, he will expect to start alongside Nicolas Raskin in a deep-lying midfield role.
That said, Raskin could also be deployed in a more advanced role, and with Chukwuani being a potential ball-winning addition, it’s Mohamed Diomande who could see his game time suffer as a result.
Diomande primarily plays as a number 10 for Rangers, and has produced just two goal involvements in 18 league appearances this term.
So, with Rohl likely to unleash Raskin further forward, the Ivorian could miss out if Rohl lands both Chukwuani and Neil.
Neil hailed as ‘phenomenal’
Rangers have lacked creativity from midfield throughout the 2025/26 campaign, but the addition of Neil could resolve that problem.
The Sunderland maestro locked down their engine room in the Championship with a blend of exceptional passing and vision.
Neil is capable of unlocking defences from deep with his line-splitting balls, having averaged 6.01 progressive passes per game across the past year, as per FBref.
Many also rate the midfielder highly, including former academy teammate Luke Molyneux, who dubbed Neil ‘phenomenal’ in March 2025.
“Dan was phenomenal,” Molyneux said. “He just had this natural ability and confidence that made him stand out. To see how well he’s doing now is no surprise at all. You could tell he was going to go far.”
Rangers fans will be hoping the Black Cats talent can help inspire their title charge in the second half of the season.
Stay up to date this winter with our Rangers transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at Ibrox, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.