Todd Cantwell’s Rangers return would make perfect sense – here’s why
Rangers and Danny Rohl are reportedly keen on bringing Todd Cantwell back to Glasgow.
According to a report from journalist Shane MacDermott and reposted by RoversXtra on X, Championship pair Wrexham and Derby County are interested in signing Cantwell.
Contract talks with his current club Blackburn Rovers are said to have stalled, and that could open the door up for an exit from Ewood Park this summer.
Rangers and Rohl are both claimed to be interested in the 27-year-old, and are ready to push for his return to Ibrox in the summer.
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Todd Cantwell would make so much sense for Rangers
Having left Rangers in the summer of 2024 to sign for EFL Championship side Blackburn, Cantwell has quickly established himself as a talismanic figure in Rovers’ midfield.
The former Norwich City academy graduate has made 60 total appearances for the Lancashire outfit, scoring seven times and providing 10 assists.
Out of the 20 Championship games he’s played for Rovers this season, 18 of those have been as part of the starting XI, with four goals and three assists to his name this term.
Seven direct goal contributions in 20 league outings isn’t bad at all, and those numbers are made even more impressive when you consider Blackburn are currently sitting just two places above the relegation zone.
As per Sofascore, Cantwell has featured three times in the Team of the Week this season, whilst registering an 82 per cent pass success rate and is making 5.7 ball recoveries per game.
In 64 total appearances for Rangers across his 18-month stay between January 2023-August 2024, Cantwell scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists, becoming a key part of the Gers side as such.
Capable of playing anywhere in midfield and across the forward line, the former England youth international is as versatile an attacking midfielder as they come.
It’s because of that in which he could thrive in Rohl’s 4-2-2-2 approach that he deployed against Hearts, should he stick with it, as he would be comfortable playing in any one of those banks of two in attack.
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Cantwell was divisive among fans but production was there
Not all Rangers fans really took to Cantwell in Glasgow, with questions over his work rate being asked at times, whilst he and former Gers boss Philippe Clement certainly didn’t see eye to eye.
However, his seven goals and five assists in 30 Scottish Premiership games in his one and only full 2023-24 season at Ibrox was solid evidence that he’s a quality performer at this level.
Whether it be as a potential Nicolas Raskin replacement, Mikey Moore insurance or for something else, Cantwell could be a very shrewd signing by Rangers, and he wouldn’t need to acclimatise to the club or the city either.
Whilst they do tend to say ‘never go back’, you can’t help but feel the surface was merely scratched regarding Cantwell’s potential impact in Glasgow, and under Rohl, he could well achieve it.
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