MusaRangers have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil after Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris told the player that he ‘has to make a choice’ about his future.
Local boy Neil has risen through the ranks at the Stadium of Light and missed just two league games last season as Sunderland clinched promotion back to the Premier League after a eight-year absence with a dramatic Championship play-off final victory over Sheffield United. However, the 24-year-old has made just three appearances in the top-flight, with the Tyne and Wear side sitting pretty in 10th place.
Neil is into the final six months of his contract with his boyhood club and along with teammate Romaine Mundle is a target for Rangers. Danny Rohl has already bolstered his midfield ranks this month with the £3.5million capture of Tochi Chukwuani and is poised to seal a loan swoop for Wolfsburg wide man Andreas Skov Olsen that will also include an option to buy in the summer.
As well as Rangers, Everton, West Ham and Sheffield United are also said to be keen on former England U20 international Neil while FC Koln reportedly want to take him to the Bundesliga. French coach Le Bris was directly asked about the midfielder’s immediate future on Thursday and admits that he is in a tough situation.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace, he said: “He’s still connected with the club, he’s in a specific part of his career I think it’s true. At the same time, you have to make a choice and not only your choice because it’s connected with another project.
“At the minute, he’s still at Sunderland. It’s a tough position (with Dan( because we want to respect everyone. He is still important for the group. “You don’t know exactly what you can expect from the market so it’s tough.”
It comes after former Black Cats midfielder Lee Cattermole said he’d be gutted to see the local boy leave the club but stresses that Neil does need to play as much football as he can.
He told the BBC: “I think he would have probably been expecting to get a start at some point, especially since the AFCON when we lost a number of players.
“He wants to, and needs to be playing football, especially at his age. He had such a good run; he captained the club over the last two seasons to such great achievements, so if he does leave I will be absolutely gutted.”
Musa
