3 Rangers stars that Clement must now ditch in January

The January transfer window cannot come soon enough for Glasgow Rangers and Philippe Clement.

Despite overhauling the first team squad in the summer, there are still plenty of areas that require major surgery, notably the defence and centre-forward departments.

It remains to be seen just how much money Clement will have to spend during the winter window, especially as several million was used to sign players such as Mohamed Diomande, Nedim Bajrami and Hamza Igamane a few months ago.

The failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League group stages could set the Light Blues back significantly, which means player sales might be the only way in which the manager will be able to strengthen when the transfer window opens in a few weeks.

There are a few first-team players who are either failing to contribute, or constantly injured, who could be moved on in January to raise some funds for new signings.

Another one has seen a remarkable drop-off in form compared to last season and appears to be approaching the end of his Ibrox career.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three players who Rangers could sell in January…

1

James Tavernier

This may seem unlikely, but there are several reasons why the Gers should cash in on their captain in a few weeks.

Firstly, his scoring rate dropped drastically this season. Across the entirety of 2023/24, Tavernier netted 24 goals and grabbed 12 assists in all competitions, a stunning record for a defender.

He finally completed the domestic set, scoring the winner in the League Cup final against Aberdeen, but with the club in a title race, his form suffered and Rangers lost both the Premiership and Scottish Cup to Celtic.

Interest in him was reportedly high during the summer, as Steven Gerrard wanted to lure him to the Middle East, while Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was keen on signing the defender for Besiktas.

In the end, no move materialised as he remained at Ibrox, but his attacking stats this term are poor. After 20 games, the 33-year-old has scored just a single goal, while registering four assists.

His contract expires in the summer of 2026, which means January 2025 could be the final opportunity for the Light Blues to secure a decent transfer fee for the former Newcastle United starlet.

While it seems unrealistic, Tavernier has looked poor for large stretches this term, not offering much in the final third compared to previous seasons.

Age is certainly catching up with him too. Having just turned 33 in October, Tavernier is approaching the end, whether he likes it or not. He has been subbed off in four League and Cup games this term already, more than the whole of last term.

If he doesn’t go in January, then surely the summer – which has been touted as a potential point of exit – will see Tavernier finally depart the club, a decade after he joined.

2

Kieran Dowell

The former Everton starlet was announced as a Rangers signing in May 2023, before the 2022/23 campaign had even finished, as Michael Beale was building his own squad.

In his maiden season, Dowell started just six times, with Beale even leaving him out of the Europa League squad for some strange reason, hardly the confidence booster the Englishman needed at the time.

Around Christmas, with a midfield injury crisis engulfing the squad, it looked like Dowell could play a key part, even scoring in a win over Motherwell on Christmas Eve.

Once others were fit, Dowell suffered his own injury and played just five times during the second half of the season.

The 27-year-old is earning £16k-per-week. Considering his contributions so far for the Light Blues, this is certainly a waste of a wage, that’s for sure.

The 2024/25 campaign has brought just two starts – against St Johnstone and Dundee United – with Dowell failing to record a goal or assist in ten appearances overall.

Like Tavernier, he has a contract running until 2026, meaning this winter could be the final chance for Clement to move him on and raise some funds.

His presence in the squad is stunting the growth of youngsters such as Bailey Rice and Cole McKinnon, who are both much better options for the Gers.

3

Rabbi Matondo

Van Bronckhorst signed Rabbi Matondo in the summer of 2022, paying a fee of around £3m to lure the rapid Welshman to Scotland.

Following a season on loan to Cercle Brugge – registering 12 goal contributions – Matondo was looked upon as an exciting signing, one who could cause plenty of chaos to opposition defences in Scotland.

It didn’t quite work out like that, unfortunately. His first campaign saw the winger contribute just five assists in 28 games.

Last season saw Matondo enjoy a positive start, scoring his first goal for the club against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers. Before that, he shone in the League Cup clash against Morton, with journalist Euan Robertson hailing the player a “bright spark” for the Ibrox side.

By the end of the campaign, Matondo had scored six goals and grabbed four assists, but injury problems were proving to be a problem yet again, as the former Manchester City gem failed to secure a consistent run in the starting XI.

The same problems have persisted this term. Two goals and three assists in just six games is certainly impressive. Missing 13 games through injury isn’t, however.

Indeed, during his two-and-a-half seasons in Glasgow, Matondo has missed a total of 56 games and counting for the club.

A few good performances are followed by a spell on the sidelines, hardly a figure of consistency at Ibrox. Clement may not recoup the £3m that was spent on him, but it is clear that signing someone with a better injury record is surely a priority.

Time will tell which players the Belgian moves on, but these three are surely the prime options in order to bring in some much-needed transfer funds.

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