According to HITC, Rangers are ready to let go of James Tavernier as interest from Qatari transfer parties grows before their window closes.
On September 6, the outlet’s website stated that the Light Blues would entertain bids for the captain, even though they had turned down offers in the summer and the deadline in Scotland had past.Al-Arabi and Al-Gharafa were both prepared to make a play for the captain.
According to reports, Tavernier, 32, “shunned” offers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia throughout the window in order to support Philippe Clement’s title challenge.
However, the right-back may potentially be available following insults he received outside Ibrox following Celtic’s 3-0 Old Firm derby loss, despite having had a difficult start to the season on the field. Rangers skipper Philippe Clement to be let go? Given how the campaign has begun, everyone involved may be happy to find a way out in the event of a late Tavernier exit.
The defender has looked a long way short of his best after an interrupted preseason, with none of his best attributes coming to the fore while his weaknesses have been exposed.
Talks with Trabzonspor during the summer [Sky Sports, 24 July] were expected to produce a move away after nine years in Glasgow, but in a summer where far less activity proved possible than had been anticipated the matter went quiet.
Clement was expected to launch a complete overhaul of the squad after falling short in the title race last term but exits were hard to come by and blocked incoming signings.
Vice-captain Connor Goldson was sold to Aris Limassol and the pair were expected to clear a major chunk of space on the wage bill [David Edgar, 22 July].
Dujon Sterling is in line to take over at right-back when the time comes but with the window closed it would leave Clement short until January if Tavernier were to go now.
The Belgian may have been glad of the room to manoeuvre by offloading the skipper’s contract weeks ago, but now the situation has turned so sour it might be a relief for the manager and the captain to land a move while it is still available.
Clearly such a development at this stage would not have been planned as the deadline approached, but just as with Rabbi Matondo, now out injured long-term soon after exit offers were resisted [Football Scotland, 5 September], plans have gone awry after the damaging trip to Parkhead.
Read more on
sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply