Sam Lammers decides on new Dutch interest as Clement hopes for a Rangers comeback.

Sam Lammers decides on new Dutch interest as Clement hopes for a Rangers comeback.

 

Sam Lammers truly doesn’t want to leave Rangers and give up that fat salary, does he? Rangers have made it apparent that they must sell in order to acquire this summer, as Philippe Clement takes potshots at the Ibrox board. But with the Premiership opener against Hearts hanging large on August 3, there hasn’t been much movement in or out of the club since those remarks last week. As another season approaches, Rangers supporters are anxious—and for good reason. They are understaffed, undercooked, and ill-prepared. Sam Lammers’ outrageous compensation demands, which keep Rangers from collecting a fee and moving on from one of last summer’s big purchases, also don’t benefit the team.

Lammers dismisses the fourth Dutch team

Rangers made headlines last summer when they signed Sam Lammers on a rumored £3.5 million transfer deal. The Atalanta forward had not seen success in Italy, and following many fruitless loan transfers, Rangers surprisingly agreed to pay for the 27-year-old Dutchman’s services.

Although Lammers failed to adjust to the stress of life at Rangers, Michael Beale may have believed he was the guy to turn around his career. In the second half of the season, Sam Lammers went on loan to FC Utrecht, where he excelled and scored 11 goals in Holland before returning to the Eredivisie. However, it seems the striker, who plays for the Rangers B Team at the moment, has no desire to return to the Netherlands. For the money that is being offered, anyway. The attacker, who has already turned down salary reductions at FC Utrecht, AZ Alkmaar, and FC Twente this season, is signed to a massive £25k per week deal at Ibrox.

Now, you can throw NEC Nijmegen into the mix with the Dutch club’s manager admitting that wages have prevented the club making a move for the Rangers forward.

“I would really like to have Sam there, but I don’t think he will come to NEC,” said manager Rogier Meijer, as quoted by De Gelderlander. “We spoke to him, but he has made a different choice.”

Rangers lumbered with expensive striker
So where does that leave Rangers?

It’s clear Sam Lammers has technical ability but the striker appears so timid in the face of pressure that when things go slightly negatively they just perpetually snowball.

It gives a clue as to why Lammers has only ever had genuine success in the Netherlands and it’s telling the striker has dug his heels in this summer rather than try to win his place at Rangers or take a pay cut to play elsewhere.

Okay, so we’re not blaming Lammers for accepting a huge contract from Rangers—that honor goes entirely to a board that enjoys giving out absurd sums to middle-class players—but the current state of affairs needs to be changed for the benefit of all parties. If Sam Lammers stays and plays out his contract, Rangers may end up having to pay him about £7.5 million, which would be absolutely disastrous for the team. It doesn’t seem like there is much interest from other parties however, as only Dutch teams have expressed interest in paying Rangers’ £2.5 million asking price so far, but they are hesitant to match Sam’s pay. If Philippe Clement had any hair, he would be tearing it out as he waits patiently for the cogs to turn and the Rangers to do some much-needed business.

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