Rangers are in talks to sign Luton Town’s highly-rated Norway midfielder Thelo Aasgaard after completing the signing of Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth on a three-year deal.
Aasgaard only joined Luton from Wigan back in January, but is now set to move on following the club’s relegation to League One.
The 23-year-old was signed for a fee of £3million and it is expected that Luton will bank a decent profit on that outlay.
Rothwell, 30, spent last season on loan at Leeds United and was a key part of the team which won promotion back to the Premier League.
The former Manchester United academy graduate is a holding midfielder whose strengths lie in his reading of the game and his distribution of the ball.
He also worked with new Rangers boss Russell Martin during a previous loan spell with Southampton in the English Championship.
Aasgaard is set to move on from Luton Town following the club’s relegation to League One
Rangers have signed midfielder Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth on a three-year deal
After clinching his move to Ibrox, Rothwell said: ‘I am delighted to have the deal done and be here. It is brilliant.
‘The size of the club speaks for itself and as soon as the interest was there, it was an immediate yes from me.
‘With Russell coming in, too, it made that decision a little bit easier because working with him in the past and I know what type of guy he is and how he wants to do things.
‘That was an even bigger pull for me, but the club speaks for itself.’
Rangers boss Martin added: ‘Joe is a player who we thoroughly enjoyed working with during my time at Southampton.
‘His leadership, professionalism and quality were a huge asset. He is joining on the back of two promotions, so helps bring a real winning mentality to the group.
‘We are excited for Joe to join up the squad, get to know his teammates, and help make the group stronger.’
With Martin looking to bolster his options in the middle of the park and add some creativity, Rangers are weighing up a move for Luton’s Aasgaard.
Aasgaard was born in Liverpool but qualifies to play for Norway through his father. He scored and also gave an assist on his debut for the national team back in March.
After lining up alongside Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, his Luton boss said Matt Bloomfield said: ‘He went away with elite company and looked right at home.’
Aasgaard came through the Liverpool academy before playing over 160 games for Wigan in the Championship and League One prior to joining Luton.
On Wednesday night, Rangers also announced the signing of Peterborough centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez, who made 42 appearances for the League One outfit last season.
After signing, the 23-year-old said: ‘I was shocked when I heard about Rangers because it is such a big club but it was the place I wanted to be.
‘I haven’t played at this level, there will be a lot of life changes for me, but it is something I want to be part of and I can’t wait to get started.’
