Is man who twice worked with Rangers' Scott Arfield behind Southampton's alleged interest?

The Rangers midfielder is thriving under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

Scott Arfield of Rangers celebrates with the match ball after scoring all three goals in his team's 0-3 victory during the Ladbrokes Premier League match between Motherwell and Rangers at...

Scott Arfield continues to be linked with a move to Southampton (Daily Mail), despite reports the English side aren’t interested in signing the Rangers midfielder (Daily Record).

But which version of events to believe?

As the old saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. And a look at the Saints’ behind-the-scenes team may lead us to the source of those flames.

It is of course Ross Wilson – a man who once turned down a move to Rangers (BBC Sport) – that heads up football operations at St Mary’s.

General view outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary's Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Southampton, England.

According to his LinkedIn profile, the Scot’s duties include: Scouting & Recruitment (Senior and Academy); Football Operations (obviously); Football Administration; Performance Analysis, and Contract Negotiation and Management.

And it is the very same Ross Wilson who previously worked at two of Arfield’s former clubs, Falkirk and Huddersfield Town, while the Rangers midfielder was also on the books.

Whether or not Southampton are indeed keen on the 30-year-old remains to be seen.

But even if the rumours do prove wide of the mark, it is perhaps no surprise that they exist in the first place.

Steven Gerrard, Manager of Rangers looks on from the stands prior to the Scottish Ladbrokes Premiership match between Motherwell and Rangers at Fir Park on April 07, 2019 in Motherwell,...