Rangers in transfer battle with Serie A giants over top midfield target

Tom Weber

• 22 Nov 2025 14:32 CST
• 3 min read

News

Rangers have received a worrying update on midfield target David Watson as the Kilmarnock star is also on the radar of Lazio.

The Scotland U21 captain is making a name for himself in the Scottish Premiership, and his exploits are not going unnoticed, especially in light of his contract situation.

Watson is out of contract in the summer and looks increasingly likely to be on the move, potentially as early as January. The 20-year-old has notched three goals and an assist in 13 Premiership appearances so far this term.

A box-to-box midfielder, Watson has reportedly emerged as a January target for Rangers, who are braced for winter interest in Belgium international Nicolas Raskin.

Although the Ibrox club have been urged not to cash in on their star midfielder mid-season, there appears to be a concrete chance that Raskin will depart, having requested a transfer in the summer.

Lazio enter the frame for Watson

Unfortunately for Rangers, they are far from the only club to have taken a liking to Watson. Il Messaggero reports that Lazio have also been scouting the youngster in recent times.

It is reported that Watson has emerged as something of a left-field target in a bid to hand Maurizio Sarri cheap January reinforcements. Lazio were hit with a transfer ban in the summer but are confident that they will be able to do business in January after getting their finances in order.

Goalkeeper Christos Mandas is expected to be sold to help balance the books, while Matteo Guendouzi is a target for Sunderland. Selling the pair would allow the Serie A giants to bring in some signings.

A midfielder is a priority for Sarri, and Watson could be available for less than his €1.7 million Estimated Transfer Value (ETV). This is why he has emerged as a surprise target, along with the likes of Ivan Ilic of Torino and Nicolo Fagioli of Fiorentina.

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