The last time that Glasgow Rangers lifted the Scottish Premiership title under Steven Gerrard, they had an array of consistently impressive performers across the park.
In the middle of the park, the likes of Steven Davis, Joe Aribo, Scott Arfield, and Glen Kamara contributed to that success with their performances in midfield.
Derek McInnes recruited several midfielders in the present day to mount a title charge in the league this season, but he is still searching for the right balance in the two central midfield roles.
One of the signings who has yet to prove his worth to the Ibrox giants is former Hearts star Cammy Devlin, who arrived at the club on a free transfer.
Why Rangers should have avoided a deal for Cammy Devlin
The Australia international looked like a sensible signing at face value because he worked with McInnes at Tynecastle last season and knows the Premiership inside and out.
However, Devlin is not the profile of central midfielder who should be signed by a team that expects to dominate matches and have control of the ball more often than not, because he is at his best when his side have their back to the wall and need to dig in and fight.
The 28-year-old is excellent at breaking up play with fouls, tackles, and interceptions, averaging five tackles and interceptions per game in the league this term, but his use of the ball is not at the level required at Ibrox.
26/27 Premiership | Cammy Devlin |
|---|---|
Appearances | 5 |
Starts | 4 |
Goals | 0 |
Key passes | 2 |
Big chances created | 0 |
Assists | 0 |
Successful dribbles per game | 0.2 |
Dribble success rate | 33% |
Devlin does not offer qualities as a scorer, a creator, or a dribbler on the ball, and that has meant that he has largely been ineffective in matches where Rangers are dominating the possession and trying to break teams down.
He does not have the quality on the ball to drive past defenders, unlock a defence with a pass, or score a game-changing goal, which is why the Gers should have avoided signing a midfielder of his profile in the first place.
Rangers’ new Kamara is bad news for Devlin
Devlin and fellow summer signing Vanja Dragojevic both found themselves on the bench for the 1-0 win over St Mirren last time out in the league, as Nicolas Raskin and Dan Neil started.
However, there is another player in the running to start in midfield and their emergence as a starter would be bad news for both Devlin and Dragojevic.
Tochi Chukwuani signed for Rangers from Sturm Graz in the January transfer window and he is still settling into life at Ibrox, but he has shown glimpses of the quality that he could provide.
The Danish midfield star has the potential to be McInnes’ own version of Kamara in the middle of the park for the Gers, possibly ending Devlin and Dragojevic’s respective careers at Ibrox before they have really started.
Unlike the former Hearts midfielder, Chukwuani has shown that he can offer an attacking threat, having scored seven goals and provided three assists in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns for Sturm Graz and Rangers combined.
The Dane has scored three goals in 24 appearances for the Light Blues this year, whilst Devlin has scored five goals in all competitions since the start of the 2021/22 season.
25/26 Premiership | Tochi Chukwuani |
|---|---|
Appearances | 15 |
Starts | 13 |
Goals | 2 |
xA | 1.01 |
Pass accuracy | 84% |
Tackles + interceptions per game | 2.0 |
Duel success rate | 53% |
Ground duel success rate | 59% |
After signing midway through the campaign, Chukwuani delivered promising performances under Danny Rohl in the Premiership as an all-round midfielder, akin to Kamara’s displays during his time at the club.
Like the Finland international, the former Sturm Graz star offered a goal threat, some creativity, defensive qualities, reliable passing, and strength in his duels with opposition players.
At 6 foot 2, Chukwuani is a well-built midfielder who has proven that he can handle the rigours of Scottish football, whilst also offering quality on the ball, unlike Devlin.
However, the change in management has reduced his opportunities on the pitch this season, as he has only played 43 minutes across two substitute appearances in the league under McInnes.
The Scottish boss needs to change that and provide the Dane with more chances to impress in the Premiership, because his performances under Rohl suggest that he is the club’s next Kamara in the making.
If he is given a run of matches to prove himself, Chukwuani could nail down a regular place in the midfield and make it even more difficult for Dragojevic and Devlin to break into the side, which is why it would be bad news for them.
