Rangers in contract talks with ‘box-to-box’ sensation

There were no doubts there were fears he would just be Russell Martin 2.0 at Rangers, but manager Danny Rolle put those doubts to rest with a promising start at Ibrox.

Saturday’s emphatic come-from-behind victory over rivals Celtic took the German manager to 29 points from his first 12 games in charge in the Premiership, but they have only lost once.

It was a different story on the continent, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the recent young appointments of the Gers from south of the border proved far more fruitful.

With just six points separating the Glasgow side and league leaders Hearts at the Premiership Summit, now is the time for Rangers to back the team and give Rolle the right tools to push for a genuine title shot.

If recent reports are to be believed, such work is already underway at Ibrox.

Rangers begin investigation into midfielder’s January contract

It’s already been almost a week since the season started in January and Rangers have so far failed to make an attack, but midfield appears to be one area that Rolle wants to strengthen.

Indeed, in recent days it has been reported that Motherwell’s Elliot Watt is on the club’s transfer radar, with the 25-year-old widely seen as ‘the best midfielder in the league’ so far this season.

But Watt is not the only midfield player on Rohr’s plans, with Italian outlet Il Secolo XIX (via Tuttomercatoweb) suggesting that talks have taken place for Emil Bohinen to leave.

The newspaper reports that Gers are investigating the Norwegian midfielder’s contract this month, with the 26-year-old currently on loan at Venice from Genoa potentially facing a further loan deal in the coming weeks.

According to the article, Bohinen is expected to make a “final decision” within the next few days, with the Rangers firmly listed as a candidate to sign him.

Why Bohinen could be Roll’s answer to Matt O’Reilly

Any move for the Scandinavian talent could well be a little left-field, but another elegant British-born left-footer who could perhaps emulate Matt O’Reilly’s success in Glasgow.

The London-born Denmark international was snapped up by Celtic from MK Dons in January 2022 and spent the next two years becoming a key player under managers Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.

Overall, the relative unknown scored 62 goals and assists in 124 appearances in all competitions for Parkhead before moving to Brighton in the summer of 2024 in a £25m deal.

A left-footed 6ft 1in midfielder like Bohinen, O’Reilly’s main strength is his threat to break the box in the final third, particularly in the 2023/24 season, when he scored 18 goals in the Premiership.

Perhaps Bohinen could make a similar move elsewhere in Glasgow, with talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “box-to-box” talent, likening him to current Arsenal threat Mikel Merino.

Although he is a former member of the Norway U-21 team, he failed to score a single goal or provide an assist during his time at Genoa and Venice, and it can be said that it was a difficult period for the star player who is in high demand these days.

However, with three goals in just 12 Serie B games for Frosinone, O’Reilly’s case highlights why it’s worth looking towards the bottom of the pyramid for diamonds in the rough.

Of course, the 26-year-old Bohinen is not exactly a promising player, but he has 19 goals and assists in 73 appearances for Oslo’s Stabek, and could have great potential if he can find a permanent home.

O’Reilly had to make his own difficult journey to Celtic after being released by Fulham before moving to English third-tier side Milton Keynes, but his skill set and physicality ultimately proved to be a perfect fit for Scottish football.

Hopefully the same will be true for Bohinen if Rohr and others can work out a deal in the near future.