Sheffield United, Millwall & Bristol City should be on high alert to Joe Rothwell, Rangers situation | OneFootball

Joe Rothwell looks poised to depart Rangers, just months after signing with the Scottish giants - these three Championship sides should be in for him

Former Bournemouth midfielder Joe Rothwell looks ready for a return to England after being snubbed from the Rangers side following Danny Rohl's appointment.

The 30-year-old made the move north of the border this past summer to reunite with Russell Martin, with whom he won promotion during his loan spell at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

However, a poor start to the campaign, which saw Rangers fall into the Europa League from the qualifying rounds of the Champions League after a 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge, and a domestic start which resulted in one win from seven games, Martin was sacked.

In the games since former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was appointed, Rothwell hasn't had much of a look-in, and Pete O'Rourke has reported that English clubs are looking to take the 30-year-old in if he were to become available.

The last time Rothwell was seen in the Championship, he lifted the title with Leeds United at the end of last season, and the two-time promotion winner could look for three on the bounce, especially if these three sides go in for him in January.

Sheffield United

Sheffield United may not be a typical promotion contender, sitting in the bottom half of the division as we near the halfway point.

But the competitive nature of the Championship this season means that any side that puts a string of wins together at the right time could end up in the top six.

The Blades are now starting to hit their stride once more under Chris Wilder after a tumultuous few weeks under Ruben Selles, which bled into the start of the popular manager's third spell in the Bramall Lane dugout.

Now, Wilder knows what his best squad is, and more importantly, knows where he needs to improve, mainly in the midfield and at right-back.

Rothwell fits the need for a midfielder at Bramall Lane and comes with the know-how of winning promotions at the level with both Southampton and Leeds, which is what Chris Wilder will want in his side for the second half of the season.

Millwall

For Millwall, this January will be about picking up top-end Championship players who will do a job to help solidify their promotion claims and provide a creative edge, which may help them prevail in important moments towards the end of the season.

Alex Neil's side may also be looking for a boost in the midfield, too. The likes of Camiel Neghli and Casper De Norre, among others, have held the fort down well in the centre of the park, but with Massimo Luongo out for the campaign, an extra body will definitely be needed.

Rothwell would help fill that hole, while also providing a Millwall side that is typically robust and relies on their strong defensive numbers to win matches a better creative outlet to help influence games from the midfield.

When Will Smallbone returns from his injury in 2026, there wouldn't be many better midfield pairings in the Championship if Rothwell were to join him. They both contributed to a promotion two years ago — perhaps they could do it again at the Den.

Bristol City

While Bristol City will hope that the worst of their injury crisis is behind them, with the likes of Jason Knight, Cam Pring, Rob Atkinson and Max Bird re-emerging towards the end of 2025, the first half of the campaign has taught Gerhard Struber that squad depth is key.

Rothwell is arguably one of the best depth options the Championship has had over the past couple of years.

He started just four times for Southampton two seasons ago, and was initially brought in as a squad option at Elland Road last season.

However, last year he made 24 starts due to injuries to the likes of Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu and, importantly, didn't look out of place in a title-winning side.

A side like Bristol City at full strength may not need Rothwell to start most weeks, but if injuries strike again, as they have in the opening half of this season, the 30-year-old would be a perfect midfielder to come in and plug the gap as the Robins search for back-to-back top six finishes.