Special forward wants to sign for Rangers and he could be Cantwell 2.0

Glasgow Rangers are building momentum at precisely the right time following a relatively straightforward 3-0 win over Ross County over the weekend.

With a Europa League tie at Ibrox against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, followed by the League Cup final against Celtic days later, Philippe Clement will be pleased with how his side performed in the Highlands.

These two matches could define the season, yet Clement is already looking ahead to January…

Rangers have Championship star high on their list

It is no secret that the Light Blues need to add another player or two to the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

According to Glasgow World, the Gers are believed to be on the hunt for an attacking player this winter, with Leeds United youngster Joe Gelhardt reportedly high on the list of transfer targets.

gelhardt-leeds-farke-championship-pohjanpalo-transfer

He has failed to impress Daniel Farke this season, slipping down the pecking order and this could see him move away from Elland Road next month.

Further reports from Football Insider suggest he wants to sign for the club with rumours that Rangers are ‘plotting’ their move for the young attacker.

His contract expires in 2027, which suggests Leeds might be looking for a sizeable fee in order to let him depart. Could a loan deal be worked out between the two clubs?

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Rangers have enjoyed previous success with regard to signing players from the Championship. Gelhardt could potentially be another Todd Cantwell-type figure at Ibrox.

Todd Cantwell 2.0 for Rangers

Of course, we all know how Cantwell’s spell at the club ended, but for a time, he was an exciting player who looked like he could be a star player for the Ibrox side over the next few years.

The Englishman fell out of favour at Norwich City, leading Michael Beale to sign him in 2023. Six goals and five assists during his first five months indicated that he could turn out to be a fine signing.

Despite registering 15 goal contributions last term, it was clear Clement wasn’t his biggest fan, leading to his sale in the summer to Blackburn Rovers.

Gelhardt could hopefully have a similar sort of impact should he move to Scotland next month. The £14k-per-week starlet burst onto the scene during the 2021/22 season, scoring twice and grabbing two assists in the Premier League for Leeds.

Todd Cantwell’s domestic Rangers stats
Metric	2022/23	2023/24
Goals	6	7
Assists	4	5
Big chances created	5	7
Key passes per 90	1.3	1.7
Successful dribbles per 90	1.5	1.2
Via Sofascore

Jamie Carragher lavished praise on the youngster after a goal against Norwich in 2022, saying: “And he’s a special, special talent. He’ll be remembered now for this big goal, but I can assure you, he is a lad we will be talking about a lot in a few years’ time, he really is.”

Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite lived up to his potential. Since his maiden campaign, Gelhardt has netted just four goals, with three coming in the Championship during a loan spell with Sunderland.

Perhaps a change of scenery could do him the world of good? Cantwell shone after moving to Ibrox and if the club can even secure a short-term deal for the 22-year-old, he could be an ideal signing.