Glasgow Rangers’ season may be all but over, despite Spring still being a few weeks away, but there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Ibrox side.
Recent news has emerged that 49ers Enterprises are looking at a potential takeover of Rangers, led by Paraag Marathe.
Dave King – the largest shareholder at the club with a stake of 12.97% – is keen to sell to the American consortium, while other shareholders such as Douglas Park and George Taylor both have stakes of over 10%.
If everything goes to plan, this could be completed ahead of the summer transfer window, and after Philippe Clement’s sacking, the whole club could have a totally different feel to it.
While a major overhaul of the playing squad isn’t required this summer, it is clear that several players need to be moved on as their time at the club has come to a natural end.
Rabbi Matondo has starred out on loan at German side Hannover 96, while Ben Davies is spearheading Birmingham City’s promotion push this term. If both keep shining, then the Light Blues will surely be able to cash in on the players.
There are a couple who are still part of the squad that the Belgian must cash in on this summer, especially as it represents the final chance to do so.
The Rangers high earner who the 49ers must get rid of
James Tavernier is the most notable example. His contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season, suggesting that moving him on this summer will allow the Gers to recoup a fee.
Last season, Tavernier scored 24 goals while providing a further 12 assists in all competitions for the Light Blues. This meant it was his finest ever season in front of goal since he arrived in Glasgow nine years previously.
Despite this, Tavernier helped the club win a solitary trophy – the League Cup – as they lost out to Celtic in the race for the Premiership title as well as in the Scottish Cup final.
The captain failed to inspire his side to any of these titles and this malaise has continued into the current season.
Indeed, the domestic season is all but over, while glory in Europe looks like a pipe dream at best. In the process, the right-back has registered just 14 goal contributions – four goals and ten assists – in all competitions.
Chalkboard
Last summer, there was plenty of interest in the Englishman. At one stage, Steven Gerrard was looking to reunite with his former captain, but a move to Saudi Arabia didn’t materialise.
Later on in the transfer window, another former Rangers manager – Giovanni van Bronckhorst – showed interest in taking the defender to Besiktas, but once again, the move didn’t occur, and he remained with the club for the first half of the season.
His performances on the pitch haven’t been great throughout the current season, culminating in a dismal display against second-tier Queen’s Park recently.
Indeed, he was given a match rating of just 2/10 by Glasgow World, missing a penalty against the Championship outfit which would have taken the game to extra time.
The Light Blues might not get a big fee this summer, but getting him off the wage bill could prove crucial ahead of 2025/26.
Tavernier isn't the only player who should leave Rangers
He isn’t the only one who is earning a decent wage without backing it up on the pitch. Kieran Dowell may be out on loan, but he failed to shine in Glasgow.
Michael Beale secured the services of Kieran Dowell in a pre-contract agreement in 2023. On the surface, it looked like a decent signing. Dowell had made 21 Premier League appearances during spells with Everton and Norwich City, while he also won the U20 World Cup for England in 2017.
His first season at Ibrox wasn’t great. Dowell made only 17 appearances for the club, failing to impress either Beale or Clement, scoring just three goals in the process.
The first half of 2024/25 was hardly much better. He featured just 18 times, with only three coming in the starting XI and it was clear that he wasn’t trusted by the manager.
Dowell’s wage back at Ibrox is currently £16k-per-week, which is incredible given how little he has contributed on the pitch.
Towards the end of January, it was announced that Dowell had joined Birmingham on loan until the end of the campaign in a bid to put himself in the shop window.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances created
4
Key passes per game
0.7
Shots per game
0.2
Total duels won per game
1.3
If he stars for the League One side, then Rangers will be able to sell him this summer.
Kieran Dowell's start to life at Birmingham
So far, Dowell has played eight times for the Blues, scoring once and grabbing an assist, helping the team reach the EFL Trophy final in the process.
In the third tier of English football, Dowell has registered 2.4 shots per game, along with creating one big chance and averaging 1.6 key passes per game for Birmingham.
During the club’s recent victory over Bradford in the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy, the Englishman was impressive.
Not only did he make three key passes throughout the game, but the former Everton sensation also delivered three crosses and took 50 touches.
If he can continue to shine down south, then there will be plenty of suitors once the summer transfer window opens up in a few months. That’s a certainty.
The move to Rangers looked promising on the surface, but it didn’t quite work out as anticipated and it is now time for Clement to get rid ahead of 2025/26.
With potential investment coming from 49er Enterprises, the Gers could be set to make some important signings before the start of next season.
Bringing the wage bill down remains the priority, however, which means the likes of Tavernier and Dowell must be moved on sooner rather than later.
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