Rangers chiefs could hand boss Philippe Clement a major transfer boost if they are able to confirm a seven-figure departure for one of the outcasts in his squad, it has been revealed. It has been an impressive campaign so far for Rangers, who can go back to the top of the Scottish Premiership if they win their game in hand over Dundee, which was postponed over the weekend. As it stands, they are on course to lift just their second SPL title since 2011, and should they be able to beat major rivals Celtic at Ibrox later in the campaign it would go a long way to sealing their success.
European football has been less successful, with the club bowing out at the last 16 stage of the Europa League thanks to a tame 1-0 defeat to Benfica, after impressively battling to a 2-2 draw in Portugal in the first leg. However, should they lift the Premiership trophy come the end of the season, it will have been a massively successful campaign. But the summer transfer window promises change. Several stars are out of contract, while there are question marks over the future of shot-stopper Jack Butland and also the longer term future of Fabio Silva, who would like to remain at Ibrox permanently if possible. There is also speculation over James Tavernier amid interest from abroad.
| Out of contract this summer | Transfer value |
| John Lundstrum | £6m |
| Kemar Roofe | £1.5m |
| Ryan Jack | £1 |
| Leon Balogun | £200k |
| Borna Barisic | £3.75m |
| Jon McLaughlin | £200k |
The 30-player squad is too big as things stand and though end-of-contract departures will help, Rangers will need to work hard to maximise their assets in the transfer market, and allow them to strengthen ahead of the new season. It will come as little surprise for those who have watched then Glasgow giants to hear that 28-year-old centre-back Ben Davies is up for sale this summer, with the Englishman having hardly featured under Clement this season. Davies has made just four SPL appearances, though he did appear six times in the Europa League campaign. The left-footed defender move north of the border from Liverpool in 2022, but has failed to nail down a spot at Ibrox and is set to be moved on despite his contract running until 2026. That is according to journalists Derek Clark and Chris Jack, speaking on The Rangers Review Morning Briefing.Better yet, Rangers may receive a surprisingly decent fee for their forgotten man, albeit not a massive one and almost certainly not the £4m that they shelled out for him in the first place. “He’s not going to command a huge transfer fee. Could you get back the three-odd-million that you paid for him? Potentially to the right buyer, to a Championship club who [might] see the value in him”, Jack said. He continued: “Then they could say to Clement and Nils Koppen, ‘You’ve got that money, go and reinvest it in someone who’s more suited to your style’.” A fee in that ballpark combined with savings on wages could well allow Clement to continue to implement his vision at Ibrox, as well as allowing Davies a chance to rejuvenate his stuttering career.
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