Rangers are already making plans for the January transfer window in an attempt to bounce back from a terrible season debut under Philippe Clement.
Rangers are far from the pace. Rangers were predicted to contend again this season after placing second to Celtic in both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup the previous season, as Clement seemed to have discovered a winning recipe.
That hasn’t been the case at all, though, as the Ibrox team has had a terrible start to the Scottish season. They were eliminated from the Champions League qualification stage by Dynamo Kyiv, and at the November international break, they were nine points behind the leaders in Scotland.
Clement’s team has already suffered three losses this season, which is already half as many as they suffered throughout the first half of the 23–24 season, trailing both Celtic and Aberdeen, who have won every game save the one against each other.
It has cast question on Clement’s ability to stay in charge, as the Rangers manager needs a solid set of outcomes to start making things better. One bright spot has been their Europa League campaign thus far; with two victories and a draw from their first four games, the team is currently on track to make it to the knockout stages. Rangers may have discovered a solution to the issue that still dominates the news.
Rangers are prepared to part with the “exceptional” defender. According to Football Insider, the Scottish powerhouses are prepared to let go of James Tavernier and may even start the process of his departure as early as the January transfer window, since they have already begun looking for a successor.
The long-term servant and club captain has endured a rough few months under Clement. The Rangers boss dubbed him “exceptional” after he broke the British goalscoring record for defenders in March, but his defensive capabilities have always been questioned, and they have once again reared their head this season, leading to Tavernier being left on the bench for their 1-1 draw with Olympiacos.
Despite being heavily linked to leaving throughout the summer, he chose to remain in Scotland, where he still has 18 months left on his £30,000-per-week contract. Currently, however, Rangers are “planning to offload James Tavernier at the end of the season” due to “a growing feeling from the Ibrox hierarchy that it is time for both parties to move on,” according to Football Insider.
It is added that “his declining performances have raised major red flags behind the scenes”, and that a replacement could be signed as soon as January, with a list of targets already being drawn up.
Though considering his “continued importance to the team and the dressing room”, a January exit is judged “unlikely”. Any January acquisition will be contingent upon Ibrox’s financial situation, as the club has yet to see a substantial return on its £14 million investment from the most recent summer transfer window. After ten years at the club, where he will be regarded as a legend, Tavernier would have to go in shame.
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