Connor Goldson could be edging towards a Rangers exit this summer after Sky Sports cameras noticed he wasn’t in training ahead of the clash with Kilmarnock.
The influential central defender was dropped from the starting lineup by Philippe Clement for the Scottish FA Cup semi-final at Hampden Park and hasn’t featured since, with Leon Balogun and John Souttar preferred in wins over Hearts and St Mirren.
These wins put an end to a bad run of play that saw the club give up the lead to Celtic in the championship game. Now, they must fight their way back to the top of the SPFL standings.
But with Goldson ostensibly out of the picture for this weekend’s match at Ibrox against Kilmarnock (5 May), it gets a little easier to decide on the 31-year-old’s long-term future with the team.
Is Connor Goldson heading to Saudi Arabia from the Rangers?
Saudi Arabia and former manager Steven Gerrard have shown a great deal of interest; this summer, a double swoop for both James Tavernier and Goldson was suggested.
Although Clement has stated in the open that he has no intention of allowing his two seasoned defenders to leave the team, he acknowledged that it would require “a lot of money” to move them out of Glasgow.
Saudi Arabia has made significant financial investments in the league recently, and since Al-Ettifaq gave Gerrard a new contract in spite of his inconsistent play, it is reasonable to believe that they will make every effort to sign the players he desires.
Clement has also spoken about his admiration for veteran Balogun, who is out of contract this summer, and a new contract for the Nigerian looks likely.
Therefore, the reliance on Goldson in particular becomes significantly less common than it has been in recent years if Balogun and Souttar continue to be the starting pair of center-backs for the balance of this campaign.
This implies that in the event that an offer is made, the club will undoubtedly be more likely to look into it and evaluate it, and Goldson will likely be more likely to depart if he is no longer guaranteed first choice.
The more time Clement has to consider his choices and possibly come to the conclusion that Goldson departing Rangers isn’t the worst thing in the world—or even the worst thing for the team—the longer he is unable to play.
