The summer transfer window for Glasgow Rangers ended at the end of August and it was a few months that were full of change for Philippe Clement.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen was tasked with recruiting young and exciting players to be developed and improved over the years to come, in order to generate quality players and valuable assets.
Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Robin Propper, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, Nedim Bajrami, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, and Jefte all came through the door to bolster the squad.
Eight of those 11 additions are aged 25 or under and four of them are 21 or younger, which illustrates the style of recruitment that Koppen and Clement aimed for.
In order to facilitate these moves, Rangers parted ways with Scott Wright, Sam Lammers, Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Borna Barisic, and Todd Cantwell, among others, on permanent deals.
Bar Cantwell, who chose to leave, all of those players are 27 or older and this shows that the Light Blues looked to remove some of the declining experienced professionals from the squad.
That may not be the end of the club’s business on that front, however, as the transfer window is still open in some countries and there is interest in a Rangers veteran.
Rangers star open to leaving
According to GIVEMESPORT, Light Blues right-back James Tavernier has interest in him from clubs in Qatar and Turkey, as their windows are yet to close.
The report claims that the Gers captain is open to moving on from Ibrox this month but would be more receptive to a switch to Turkey, rather than Qatar.
It states that Super Lig side Trabzonspor had an offer of £1m turned down for the English right-back earlier in the summer, as it did not meet their valuation of the veteran defender.
However, GIVEMESPORT does not mention the teams that are currently chasing a deal for the former Newcastle United gem, or how much Rangers value him at.
The report does add, though, that the Scottish Premiership giants are open to the idea of cashing in on the defender if a reasonable offer lands on their desk.
GIVEMESPORT reveals that there is a ‘genuine chance’ that the 32-year-old star moves on to Turkey or Qatar this month, before their respective transfer windows slam shut, despite Rangers not being able to dip into the market to sign a replacement, outside of the free agent pool.
Why Rangers should cash in on James Tavernier
If the Gers do not sell Tavernier now or in the January transfer window, the full-back will only have 12 months left to run on his contract with the club next summer.
That could devalue him as an asset, as teams would know that he could run down his deal and leave for nothing the following year, and that makes this, potentially, the perfect time to move him on.
With this in mind, Clement must brutally ditch the veteran right-back from the club if an acceptable offer comes in from a team in Turkey, Qatar, or elsewhere.
Top Rangers earners | |
|---|---|
Player | Wage per week |
James Tavernier | £30k |
Ben Davies (on loan at Birmingham) | £27k |
Cyriel Dessers | £27k |
Danilo | £26k |
Jack Butland | £25k |
As you can see in the table above, Tavernier is currently the highest earner at the club, by £3k-per-week, and this means that the Gers would save a significant sum of money by allowing him to move on from the club.
The 32-year-old dynamo, who has produced 125 goals and 131 assists in 467 matches in all competitions for Rangers, has provided a huge attacking threat from right-back throughout his time at the club.
His return of 256 goal contributions in 467 games illustrates exactly that, as the Light Blues penalty taker has been a consistent source of quality in the final third.
However, his work out of possession has been questionable on more than one occasion. Last year, former Gers right-back Steven Whittaker stated that Tavernier needs to work on the defensive side of his game, after errors in Old Firm matches against Celtic.
His recent performance in the 3-0 loss to the Hoops last week did little to put that narrative to bed. The Englishman lost six of his 13 duels and, crucially, allowed Daizen Maeda to get the run on him for the opening goal for the hosts, as shown in the clip above.
Rangers could, potentially, benefit from replacing Tavernier with a right-back who can offer more defensive solidity in the big games, and then hoping that it frees up the attackers to step up and flourish in the final third.
Cyriel Dessers’ strong start to the season
One player who has already stepped up during the 2024/25 campaign so far is centre-forward Cyriel Dessers, who earns £3k less per week than the Gers captain.
The Nigeria international has racked up five goals and one assist in seven appearances in all competitions so far this term, which is just under one goal contribution per game on average.
In four Scottish Premiership starts, the former Cremonese man has plundered three goals and missed three ‘big chances’, with an impressive conversion rate of 25%.
His superb form in the top-flight so far this season suggests that he is on course to improve upon his wasteful debut campaign in the division.
23/24 Premiership | Cyriel Dessers |
|---|---|
Appearances | 35 |
Goals | 16 |
Big chances missed | 27 |
Conversion rate | 16% |
Assists | 4 |
As you can see in the table above, Dessers missed a staggering 27 ‘big chances’ in the league and only enjoyed a conversion rate of 16%, which led to 16 goals in 35 matches.
This shows that the Nigerian attacker has upped his game and stepped up for Clement in the 2024/25 campaign and, hopefully, that will continue to be the case for the next eight months or so.
Rangers will need the experienced forward to provide a reliable source of goals if the club brutally ditch Tavernier this month and the early signs are looking good for Clement and his team.
