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Glasgow Rangers signed central midfielder Joe Rothwell to add some poise and class to their options in the middle of the park earlier this summer.
The English metronome joined on a permanent basis from Premier League side Bournemouth, after playing a part in Leeds United’s 100-point Championship title-winning season last term.
Unfortunately, though, Rothwell has yet to show his class on the pitch for the Light Blues. He was subbed off at half-time in the 6-0 hammering against Club Brugge and only played eight minutes off the bench against Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday.
Rangers eyeing move for new midfielder
The experienced ace may end up finding himself further down the pecking order after the deadline passes tonight, as the club have set their sights on another number six.
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According to L’Equipe, Glasgow Rangers are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign central midfielder Pierre Ekwah from Saint-Etienne today.
The report claims that Levante and Rangers are both keen on tying up a deadline day move for the French star, who wants to leave his current club after they were relegated from Ligue 1.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
It states that the Light Blues are considering an approach to sign Ekwah, who joined Saint-Etienne from Sunderland for £5m this summer, if they are able to move a player on to make way for him, although it is unclear as to who that player would be.
What Pierre Ekwah could bring to Rangers
The former Black Cats man could be exactly what Russell Martin needs at the base of his midfield to improve the defence, as an instant upgrade on Rothwell.
Rangers have already conceded 17 goals this season, and failed to win any of their four matches in the Scottish Premiership, and signing a defensive midfield enforcer like Ekwah could provide the back four with the protection that they clearly need.
In four outings in the Premiership this season, Rothwell has averaged 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game and only won 50% of his physical duels, per Sofascore, which does not suggest that he is a defensive powerhouse.
24/25 Ligue 1
Pierre Ekwah
Appearances
29
Pass accuracy
88%
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.6
Error led to goal
Duel success rate
57%
Duels won per game
5.0
Aerial duel success rate
71%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Ekwah has the potential to offer more to the team out of possession by making more tackles and interceptions and winning a higher percentage of his duels with opposition players.
Ekwah, who Tony Mowbray claimed could do “amazing” things with his feet, also ranked within the top 34% of midfielders in Ligue 1 for progressive passes (5.29) per 90, which shows that he is also adept at playing forward passes to spark attacks.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
This means that he is not only a defensive monster who can break up play, but he can also play with the ball and build attacks, which is important in a Rangers team that want to dominate and win games consistently.
Overall, Ekwah’s performances in a greater league, one of the major leagues in Europe, suggest that he would be a significant upgrade on Rothwell in the number six position and go a long way to improving the team’s worrying defensive issues.
