Former Celtic star John Hughes has claimed that Rangers could pull off their best-ever signing if they manage to lure Scott Arfield to Ibrox.
Hughes was the man who handed Arfield his professional debut at Falkirk when the Burnley star was just 18 years old in 2007, with the midfielder going on to make 116 appearances for the club.
Rangers are now confident of taking the 29-year-old back to Scotland after eight years in England with Huddersfield Town and Burnley, with his contract at Turf Moor set to end this summer.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Hughes said: “Crystal Palace and West Ham have been linked with Scott so if Rangers get him they’ve got an absolute beauty. He would be the best signing Rangers have ever made.
“He’s five players in one. Scott can play left wing, right wing, No.10, central midfield, right-back. If there’s a tight budget then it makes sense because he will cover anywhere. He’s got a bit of Graham Dorrans on the ball, a wee bit of Jamie Murphy in that he can run with it and a bit of Scott Brown in terms of getting up and down.”
Hughes went on to call for his former club Celtic to move for the 29-year-old, claiming that he would be up for the challenge of breaking into the Hoops side.
“If Rangers got him it would be a coup. I’d love to have seen him go to the other side of the city. He would take on the challenge of getting into the Celtic team. He would handle playing for a club the size of Rangers. Gordon should have capped him for Scotland, 100 per cent,” he said.
OPINION
Securing a deal for Arfield would indeed be a massive coup for Rangers, who have struggled to attract top talent to Ibrox in recent years. The Canada international is a Premier League-quality player who would instantly give the squad a lift if he did arrive this summer. As Hughes mentions, his versatility is a massive asset, and for a club like Rangers that will be a huge bonus. The Record claim that a Rangers source believes a deal is relatively close, but that is yet to be seen, with Premier League clubs interested in the midfielder.