Philippe Clement may need to sell a few first-team players at Glasgow Rangers before he is able to spend much this summer.
Michael Beale’s lavish summer spending spree from last year looks like it could derail the club unless the Ibrox outfit can raise several million during the transfer window.
Sam Lammers has attracted attention after a stunning second half of the 2023/24 campaign – scoring 11 goals in just 20 matches for FC Utrecht – and he will be sold this summer.
Might a more prominent first-team player be ready to finally leave Rangers, however? Especially as interest in him is growing with each passing day…
Rangers could sell their top goalscorer from last season
James Tavernier finished the 2023/24 campaign with a tally of 24 goals – two clear of Cyriel Dessers – and there is no denying how much of a difference the captain makes in the final third.
When the pressure was on during the final few weeks of the season, however, Tavernier failed to raise his game, which saw Celtic win both the Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
He failed to score in any of the final seven fixtures of the season. Could it finally be time to see the defender leave Glasgow this summer?
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has shown interest in luring Tavernier and Connor Goldson to Saudi Arabian side Al-Etiffaq this summer, according to reports from the Middle East nation (via Football Scotland), while there also appears to be a new suitor for Tavernier.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, another former manager of the Glasgow side, is lining up a reunion with the Englishman at his new side Besiktas.
Reports in Turkey (via the Rangers Review) claim that the Dutchman is looking to bolster his team ahead of the new season, with Tavernier a main target.
The skipper will turn 33 in October and, with two years left on his current contract, this could be the perfect chance for Clement to remove all sentiment and sell him for a decent fee.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
58
24
12
2022/23
55
18
10
2021/22
58
18
17
2020/21
46
19
16
2019/20
46
3
15
2018/19
57
17
20
2017/18
46
9
9
2016/17
44
2
7
2015/16
50
15
23
This would allow him a licence to bring in his own players, but also for the club to finally make a fresh start this summer in the hopes of returning to the summit of the Scottish game.
There is certainly a lack of options available at right-back, which suggests the 50-year-old coach may need to invest in one or two in the coming weeks.
Could he turn to the Premier League in order to do this? There is one rising talent that has been linked with a move north of the border…
Rangers line up move for Tavernier replacement
Last week, Scotsman journalist Graham Falk delivered an update on the Gers transfer activity which concerned Arsenal starlet Reuell Walters.
Falk stated that the Light Blues were interested in making a summer move for the highly rated right-back in a bid to add some depth to the right side of the defence.
With Clement’s summer budget unknown, luring a few talented youngsters to Scotland without paying a penny could be considered wise, allowing the manager to save his funds for more high-profile targets.
Walters may only be 19 years old, but there is no doubting the talent he possesses which could see the Englishman reach the very top of the professional game.
What Reuell Walters could offer to Rangers
Despite emerging through the Hale End academy in recent years, becoming one of the most promising talents in the youth teams, Walters has yet to make his senior debut for the Gunners.
Last season, the teenager made the matchday squad on no fewer than 11 occasions, including for the Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven in December, yet failed to make it onto the pitch.
This experience, however, should give Walters plenty of confidence heading into the future, although it appears to lie away from Arsenal.
He is out of contract at the end of this month, which means the Ibrox side can secure him on a pre-contract deal at any time. Mikel Arteta looks as though he is keen to keep the right-back,
With first-team football a priority for his ongoing development, surely a move to Scotland would help in this regard, especially with the chance to play European football.
He may not offer the same attacking abilities as Tavernier, registering just six goal contributions across 80 matches for a variety of youth sides, but the current Rangers captain is an anomaly.
While his talents lie elsewhere, the defender was highly praised by analyst Ben Mattinson recently, who said:
“Reuell Walters is a physically gifted player. His 1v1 strength in duels is a joke, playing against the others at youth level he’s so strong and hence wins the ball off opponents well.
“A ball-carrying monster – Walters loves to drive up the pitch with conviction, brushing off challengers and shielding the ball with his body. Walters can carry the ball far past many players due to his powerful running style. This type of on the ball ability is invaluable.”
This suggests that while the youngster might not get on the scoresheet often, his strengths clearly lie in bringing the ball out from the defence and bursting down the right flank with ease, bullying defenders with his brute strength and pace.
Clement will be hard-pressed to find a player who is going to score 20 goals a season from right-back. This means he must improve his midfield and attacking options, adding players who can regularly chip in with ten or more goals a campaign, taking the pressure off the full-backs to contribute.
If the Belgian can do this, signing Walters could be a logical move this summer. Not only does the 19-year-old have plenty of time on his hands to improve and develop naturally through exposure at first team level, but his market value could rise substantially over the next few years, thus allowing the club to make a serious profit on him.
Rangers will need to act fast, however, as a player of Walters' talent will have plenty of admirers lined up ready to offer him a deal.
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