Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement knows that selling players this summer is the only way to fund a rebuild at Ibrox, but he is running out of time.
The opening Premiership match of the 2024/25 campaign takes place in less than two weeks, as Rangers travel to Edinburgh and a fast start is required if they hope to keep pace with the arch-rivals, who will be the favourites to retain their title.
It looked as though players such as Sam Lammers and Scott Wright, who appeared surplus to requirements, would have been sold by now, but the duo are still part of the club.
There are a few weeks left of the transfer window, which means the pair could still be moved on, but will it be a more prominent member of the first team who is first to leave Ibrox?
Latest on future of Rangers star
A few months ago, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard was showing interest in bringing James Tavernier to the Middle East as he looked to strengthen his Al-Ettifaq side this summer.
The subsequent weeks offered no further progress with regard to any potential move, and it looked like the boat had sailed.
A fresh update offered by Fabrizio Romano earlier this week stated that Turkish side Trabzonspor have sent a proposal to try and sign the defender during the current window – albeit with that initial offer having been rebuffed.
Might this be time for both parties to go their separate ways? Tavernier has two years left on his current contract, which means now is the ideal time for Clement to cash in on the right-back and secure a decent transfer fee in the process.
James Tavernier’s market value at Rangers
With the ball seemingly rolling on Tavernier’s exit from Rangers, the main question is, how much will Clement demand for one of his prized assets this summer?
He is in a position to charge a decent fee given his contract situation, plus the fact the Belgian urgently requires some more quality injected into his starting XI ahead of next season.
According to Football Transfers, Tavernier’s current market value stands at €3.9m (£3.2m), which certainly places the Gers in a solid position.
As time goes on, this valuation will steadily decrease and with Tavernier turning 33 in October, he is approaching the final few years of his career.
As such, there are several players in the current squad who have better market values than the captain, with Nico Raskin one such player.
Nico Raskin’s season in numbers
The Belgian joined the Light Blues in January 2023 when Michael Beale was still in charge of the club. He was earmarked for a transfer throughout the window, finally joining as the market was about to slam shut.
He played 16 times for the club between then and the end of the campaign, emerging as a potential key player for the future under the new regime.
Last season perhaps didn’t go as well as anticipated for the Belgian starlet, as injury issues kept him out for a total of 22 games for the Ibrox side, as the progress he made during his opening six months was disrupted throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
This meant the midfielder started only 13 Premiership matches last term, registering just two goal contributions in the process.
During his time on the field, Raskin averaged a pass success rate of 85%, created two big chances, averaged 0.7 key passes per game and succeeded with 0.5 dribbles per game, showing some intent to get forward and make something happen.
It was the defensive side of the game in which the midfielder excelled, winning 4.2 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – while making 2.3 tackles and recovering 5.3 balls per game in the top flight for the Gers.
There is no doubt that these statistics would have been higher had Raskin been fit for the entire season.
Hopefully, a solid pre-season will allow him to get to a level where the £19k-per-week ace can force his way into Clement’s starting XI next season, becoming a key player in the process.
Not only that, but his value has risen steadily since arriving in Glasgow 18 months ago, which could see the club make a wonderful profit on him should they ever decide to cash in.
Nico Raskin’s market value at Rangers
At the time of writing, Raskin is currently valued at €4.4m (£3.7m) and this figure will continue to rise should he get back to his best from the start of next season.
This valuation is £0.5m more than what Tavernier is currently worth, which suggests that while Beale may have endured a torrid time of things at Ibrox, he did make a few decent signings, with Raskin certainly one of them.
While the Light Blues have since added Connor Barron on a free transfer to bolster the midfield department – amid the departures of both John Lundstram and Ryan Jack – a fully fit Raskin being available to Clement against Hearts in a couple of weeks will give the club a major boost.
He, Barron and Mohamed Diomande will all be fighting it out for two midfield berths, which means competition will be fierce for the players, something which could improve their performances.
It is no secret that the 50-year-old will want to add at least one more body to this area before the end of the transfer window, but it will remain to be seen just how much money he can raise in the next few weeks.
Will this need for future signings mean Tavernier is the first player to be sold for a substantial fee this summer? Who knows, but it would be wise for Clement to cash in.
The club have struck gold with the signing of Raskin, on the other hand, and despite an underwhelming 2023/24 season, he could be one to keep an eye out for next term, that’s for sure.
Rangers struck gold on GVB signing who's worth more than Barron
Philippe Clement has a player in his squad who he could cash in on this summer for a decent profit
ByRoss KilvingtonJul 18, 2024
