According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic and Rangers are set to go head to head in a transfer tug of war over former Manchester United star Nick Powell.
The 24-year-old has only six months left on his current contract which is set to expire next summer and both the Scottish giants are keen to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the former England youth international. (h/t Scottish Sun)
A product of Crewe Alexandra’s youth system, Powell was signed by former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2012. However, he failed to nail down a first-team spot at Old Trafford and spent time on loan at Hull City, Leicester City and Wigan Athletic before signing a three year deal with the latter upon the expiry of his contract in 2016.
Powell scored six goals in the Championship for Wigan but that was not enough to save the club from relegation to League One. However, it was in the 2017-18 season that he racked up a career-best tally of 15 goals and 7 assists, helping Wigan secure promotion back to the Championship. And he has hit the ground running in the Championship this term as well, accumulating 4 goals and 4 assists from 18 appearances.
Powell was very highly-rated at Man United and it certainly looks like he has taken significant strides towards fulfilling his true potential, albeit in the second division. Having tasted considerable success in the second and third tiers of English football, it is now time for him to take the next big step in his career and make an attempt to replicate his success on a bigger platform.
Crossing the border to shift bases to the Scottish Premiership with either Celtic or Rangers would certainly be a good decision for the playmaker. Looking at it from another perspective, he would be an ideal signing for both the Old Firm rivals but Rangers would bag a massive coup by aiming to have the final say in this transfer saga.
He is not likely to play a part this season but that shouldn’t stop Steven Gerrard from pursuing an interest in him to strengthen for the upcoming season.
Powell is a dynamic attacker who is essentially a central attacking midfielder by trade but he has also been as a supporting striker due to his good eye for goal. He is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and he knows exactly how to use his creativity and vision to good effect, working the pockets of space between the opposition’s defenders, linking up with his teammates and releasing them into open spaces with inch-perfect passes.
The 24-year-old is also quite sharp and agile with his movement off the ball, often drawing the defenders out from their positions and making subtle runs to get into scoring positions. Furthermore, he has the ability to score goals with both feet, making him all the more valuable an asset to the team.
Rangers are quite well-stocked in attack but they have struggled to penetrate into the opposition’s box at times this season. Scott Arfield has done a decent job in a No.10 role while Ryan Kent and Daniel Candeias are more suited to playing out in wide positions. Lassana Coulibaly is more of a central midfielder and Rangers certainly need a quality option behind the striker to reach greater heights.
Someone like Powell will not only spark creativity and create chances but he will also help the team with crucial strikes. That said, Rangers should leave no stone unturned in getting their hands on the ex-Man United star as he can certainly make them a more formidable force.