Diomande upgrade: Rangers pushing to sign “box-crashing” SPFL star for Rohl
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be relishing his first opportunity to bring in his own players when the January transfer window opens for business next month.
The German manager joined after the summer window closed and has only been able to work with the squad that was put together by previous managers and sporting directors.
With five wins and two draws in seven matches in the Scottish Premiership so far, it is exciting to think about what Rohl could achieve with signings that he has a chance to have a say in.
Rangers pushing to sign Premiership star
After a host of signings from England in the summer, the Light Blues are reportedly looking closer to home to bolster the manager’s options in midfield.
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According to FootballTransfers, Glasgow Rangers are ‘pushing’ to reach an agreement to sign Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson in the January transfer window.
The Scotland U21 international’s contract with Killie is due to expire at the end of the season, and the Gers are looking to take advantage of that situation to make him the first signing of the Rohl era.
It adds that Kilmarnock are open to a sale in January, to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer, but it remains to be seen how much they will demand for his services.
FootballTransfers reveals that the 20-year-old starlet has been identified as the club’s top target for the January window, but they will face competition from Lazio and Celtic, which means that this will not be an easy deal for Rangers to get over the line in the coming weeks.
Why Rangers should sign David Watson
With Mohamed Diomande heading off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, Watson could arrive at Ibrox at the start of January as an upgrade on the Ivorian talent.
Rangers will, of course, be without Diomande until the end of his country’s run in the tournament, which could provide a new signing like the Kilmarnock star to come in and take his place in the team before he returns.
Based on their respective performances in the Scottish Premiership this season, Watson would be likely to step into the side and offer more than the left-footed star has for Rangers so far.
Described by Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson as a “box-crashing, goalscoring midfielder that works hard on both ends”, the Kilmarnock star has scored three goals and created two ‘big chances’ for Kilmarnock in the Premiership, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has only scored one goal and created one ‘big chance’ for his team in that time.
This suggests that Watson, on current form, could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues if he arrives in January to take a place in Rohl’s midfield, as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the middle of the park.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Diomande |
Watson |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
12 |
16 |
|
Goals |
1 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
2 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.9 |
3.1 |
|
Duels won per game |
2.9 |
5.7 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
45% |
50% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
31% |
41% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has also provided more quality than Diomande out of possession in the league this season, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst making more defensive interceptions per game.
Analyst John Walker claimed that Watson had “blown up the league” last year, and the same is true this season with his impressive performances in the middle of the park as a 20-year-old star.
The Killie central midfielder has significantly outperformed Diomande, who was the subject of a £6.5m bid from Besiktas in the summer, and has shown that he can deliver consistent displays in the division.
Watson, who scored four goals in 23 league starts in the 2024/25 campaign, is a proven Premiership performer who could arrive at Ibrox to hit the ground running in January, which is exactly what they need when signing a player midway through the season.
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With Diomande set to jet away to the African Cup of Nations, signing the Scottish star to come in as an upgrade on him at the start of the January transfer window could be a shrewd move by the club and a dream first signing for Rohl.
