Rangers and Celtic are in the hunt to sign Wigan forward Nick Powell after he rejected a new deal with the English Championship club, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claims that Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday are on red alert after the 25-year-old snubbed the chance to pen a contract worth £19,000-a-week with the Latics.
It is understood that Powell will now be available on a free transfer because his existing contract is set to expire this summer.
Although Rangers and Celtic are interested in the ex-Manchester United attacker, he is looking to stay put in England due to having a young family.
Good move for Rangers?
Powell has had an impressive season with Wigan in England’s second-tier, scoring eight goals and supplying seven assists in 32 league appearances as the Latics managed to avoid relegation back to League One.
Although Powell has played well, he did miss a good chunk of the campaign with injury, and that may be a bit of a concern because seems to be quite an injury-prone player.
Rangers definitely need a player like Powell though as he can provide a great link between the midfield and the strikers, as well as playing up front as a striker himself.
He is good on the ball and has a real eye for goal, and as he’s available for free, he should be someone that Steven Gerrard puts at the top of his list in the summer.
This is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
According to the Sun’s report, Powell does not want to leave England due to family reasons, which is fair enough, but it is also bad news for Rangers and Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday are two attractive clubs to join in the Championship, especially for a player who has been playing at the bottom end of the Championship or in League One.
It does not seem as though Powell will be Glasgow-bound.
This is Futbol rating 1/10