Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale failed to secure a trophy in his debut season in the dugout at Ibrox after replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The English manager joined during the break for the 2022 World Cup, having started the campaign with Queens Park Rangers, and used his knowledge of the Championship to bolster the squad during his first window in charge.
Beale signed former Norwich City wizard Todd Cantwell in January to bolster his forward options and the 25-year-old proved to be a sensational addition to the team.
How much was Todd Cantwell sold for?
According to The Sun, the Canaries cashed in on the attacking midfielder for a fee in the region of £1.5m, despite rejecting an offer for the same price from Blackburn Rovers earlier that month, as his contract was due to expire at the end of the season.
He proved his worth to the Light Blues with a string of fantastic performances across the middle of the park. Cantwell averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 across 16 Scottish Premiership appearances, which placed him third in the squad – only behind James Tavernier and Borna Barisic.
However, Beale could help the Gers number 13 to become even better by securing a deal for reported transfer target Jack Clarke, who could make his compatriot unstoppable at Ibrox by giving the opposition another threat to deal with.
Is Jack Clarke staying at Sunderland?
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray recently claimed that the young winger is in no rush to leave Wearside but refused to completely rule out a transfer, which could open the door for Rangers to swoop over the coming weeks.
The "exciting" talent – as he was once described by ex-Premier League forward Noel Whelan – enjoyed a terrific campaign in the Championship to draw interest from the Scottish giants.
He produced nine goals to go along with an outstanding 11 assists in 44 league starts for the Black Cats, as the former Tottenham Hotspur man proved himself capable of making a significant impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis from a wide position.
To highlight how impressive those numbers are, Malik Tillman (ten) was the only Rangers midfielder with more than nine goals while none of Beale's stars from last season hit double figures for assists.
These statistics suggest that the £15k-per-week sensation has the potential to be an exceptional addition to the team if he is capable of translating his form at Sunderland over to Scotland.
Cantwell could, therefore, become unplayable in the number ten position as Clarke would provide a huge threat on the left flank that would cause opposition defenders to double up on him, subsequently opening up more space for the ex-Norwich ace to thrive.
The Sunderland star's ability to assist his teammates regularly could also allow Cantwell to improve his own goal return, after six goals in 15 league starts for the club last term, as the former Leeds starlet has proven himself to be more creative than any of Beale's existing options.
The Norfolk-born maestro was one of the team's top performers last season but the arrival of the Sunderland phenomenon could take his game to another level, making him an unstoppable proposition in midfield for the Light Blues.
