Rangers are facing a significant selection headache in central midfield following a busy summer transfer window that has seen the Ibrox side bolster their ranks considerably. With three new central midfielders arriving and several already on the books, new manager Derek McInnes has a wealth of options, but also a challenge in managing a potentially overcrowded engine room.
Among the new arrivals is Australian international Cammy Devlin, 28, who joined from Hearts. Despite his strong relationship with McInnes from their time together at Tynecastle, Devlin has openly acknowledged the fierce competition for places. Speaking at his first press conference, he described the quality within the squad as 'really high', a sentiment reinforced by his initial training sessions since returning from the World Cup.
Rangers' summer recruitment drive has seen them bring in defensive midfielders Dan Neil from Sunderland and Vanja Dragojevic from Partizan, in addition to Devlin. This adds to existing players such as Scotland international Connor Barron, who will be hoping for more regular starts under his former Aberdeen manager, and Tochi Chukwuani, who is still settling in after his January move from Sturm Graz. The club is also reportedly still pursuing further midfield targets, including Ryan Fosso from Sturm Graz, despite the current depth.
The influx of new talent comes alongside several players who were already competing for midfield berths. While attacking midfielders like Thelo Aasgaard and Nedim Bajrami, and returning loaneanees Jose Cifuentes, Lyall Cameron, and Paul Nsio, may not directly compete with more defensively-minded players, the sheer volume of options creates a challenging environment. Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin are also in the mix, although Raskin, who impressed at the World Cup, is widely expected to seek a move to a top-five European league this summer.
McInnes is reportedly keen to finalise a couple more deals before Rangers kick off their Scottish Premiership campaign away to Dundee United on Friday evening. However, it remains to be seen how the manager will balance his squad, particularly in a position where the club appears to have an abundance of talent. The coming weeks will likely see further developments as McInnes shapes his squad for the new season, potentially involving further departures to streamline the midfield.