Rangers are looking to revive their January interest in out-of-contract midfielder Dan Neil, with the 24-year-old set for talks as he weighs his next move. The Sunderland captain from last term has confirmed his exit and is now expected to consider an offer from Ibrox.
Neil was high on Danny Rohl’s wish list in the winter window, but he chose to try his luck in the English Championship with Ipswich Town instead. That decision helped Ipswich secure their return to the Premier League, but Neil failed to hold down a regular starting spot at Portman Road and is unlikely to be brought back this summer.
His Sunderland departure was confirmed in an emotional social media post in which he thanked those around him and reflected on what the club meant to him. “Above everything else, I would like to take this opportunity say thank you,” Neil wrote, before adding his gratitude to coaches, team-mates, staff and fans who supported him through the experiences they shared. He said he was proud of what Sunderland achieved during his time there and of “playing my part in taking it back to where it belongs, the Premier League.”
Neil added that captaining Sunderland was “a boyhood dream that came true” and said, as a lifelong supporter, he was excited to see what came next. That closing note matters because his next move now appears to be a genuine choice rather than a simple contract extension or a return to the club he has just left.
Rangers are understood to have a pull that few other options can match for a player in Neil’s position: the chance to compete for silverware and play in Europe. The move is also unfolding as speculation builds around another incoming name, with Rangers close to signing Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland, a sign the club are pressing ahead quickly in the market.
For Neil, the decision is no longer about whether he can leave Sunderland. It is about where he can play regularly, recover the form that made him such a prized target in January and settle on the stage he wants next. Rangers now have another chance to land the midfielder they wanted in the winter window, and this time the route to Ibrox is open.
