Ipswich Town transfer twist emerges involving Rangers FC, Sheffield United saga with Sunderland | OneFootball

Interest is mounting from the Championship in Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil, with Sheffield United and Rangers registering serious interest.

Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has growing interest from the Championship, with Rangers also keen on a player with just four appearances to his name in 2025/26.

Neil has made 201 appearances for the Black Cats in his career, and has been the subject of significant interest from a number of clubs over the course of the last few weeks.

He helped his boyhood club out of League One and out of the Championship, featuring as a regular starter in each of those campaigns and each season in between. However, he is now out of favour under Regis Le Bris.

A report from Mike McGrath on Friday evening revealed the South Shields-born ace had not travelled with the rest of the Sunderland squad to East London as his side visited West Ham United.

Ipswich Town lead Rangers and Sheffield United for Dan Neil's signature

Coventry and Sheffield United like Sunderland's Neil, but second tier interest goes beyond that. Leicester City and West Brom also rate Neil and the 24-year-old looks set to depart the Black Cats in the coming days.

According to a report from The Star on Saturday, Rangers have taken the lead in the race to sign Neil, as former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl looks to bolster his side as they chase down Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Pete O'Rourke then revealed West Ham are actually one of the sides in the race, with Nuno Espirito Santo keen to strengthen further in January. However, the latest development involves another second tier side.

Per the latest from The Daily Record today, Ipswich Town are now in the race to sign the midfielder. In fact, the Suffolk outfit have reportedly leapt to the head of the queue after making their move for the 24-year-old over the weekend.

Neil is out of contract this summer and it's now believed Kieran McKenna’s Championship high-flyers are in the driving seat for his signature in the final week of the window.

Ipswich have three primary midfielders in their double-pivot, with Azor Matusiwa, Jack Taylor, and Jens Cajuste the trio vying for the two starting berths. Neil could add something different to the mix, though.

The midfielder is comfortable on the ball and will also bring a wealth of leadership and experience for such a young player. Neil only recently turned 24, with his peak years now ahead of him.

The volume of interest showcases how talented he is, but Ipswich will now hope to win the race. He is a top-end Championship talent and known commodity, with Ipswich perhaps needing a long-term midfield replacement for Sam Morsy still.

Neil's promotion-winning experience is bound to appeal to McKenna after something of a revamp of Ipswich's squad over the previous summer, and that nous and pedigree could be sorely-needed at Portman Road.