Glasgow Rangers enter the final three games of 2023 with a high note, having recently advanced to the Europa League knockout stages and won their first League Cup trophy since 2011.
Wins over Motherwell, Ross County, and Celtic before the winter break will put the Gers atop the Scottish Premiership standings going into the break, which is as much of an incentive as any, according to Philippe Clement.
Given that they would be joining a team that is leading the division, the Belgian coach may be able to get one or two elite players to join his squad for the second half of the season going into the January transfer window with confidence.
The current status of the last ten January signings by the Rangers
Clement would undoubtedly need to have a better transfer history than Michael Beale, who was only able to bring in a small number of players who have since shown to be wise additions to the team.
Michael Beale’s transfer record at Rangers
Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin, who the former manager enticed to the Gers in January of this year, turned out to be great acquisitions, which increased optimism before to the summer transfer window.
Beale recruited nine players in total at the end of the window, however some of them have drawn criticism for their play.
The two big additions were Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers, although as of 2024, they had combined for just 11 goals in all competitions.
Going into the second half of the 2023–24 season, more will be needed because these numbers are insufficient for two regular starts.
Although Leon Balogun and Jack Butland have performed admirably since joining the team on free transfers, it was Beale and previous sports director Ross Wilson’s brilliant move to sign Cantwell at the right time, given he was just £1.5 million from Norwich City.
Let’s fast-forward Almost a year later, he is now one of the most valuable players on Clement’s team and has seen a significant increase in market worth.
Todd Cantwell’s market value at Norwich
Cantwell quickly established himself on the East Anglian team after making his debut in the 2017–18 campaign.
The attacking midfielder played 24 times for the Canaries, who were promoted to the Premier League in the 2018–19 season, but his greatest work was in the top division.
Despite the club’s relegation, the 25-year-old was outstanding during their return to the top league, netting six goals and dishing out two assists as he shone.
Aston Villa was showing interest in Cantwell after he had another successful Championship season in 2020–21, when he had six goals and six assists en route to another title. Aston Villa was looking to replace Jack Grealish and the newly promoted team valued him at around £40m.
His market value at the time according to Football Transfers was only €5.4m (£4.6m) and Norwich were clearly looking to cash in on one of their prized assets.
His form began to slide, however, and from the start of the 2020/21 season until the day he departed in January 2023, Cantwell only made 27 appearances for Norwich, which eventually led to his exit from his hometown club.
Their loss was Rangers’ gain and the move has proved to be a shrewd piece of business by Wilson during his spell as sporting director, prior to his move to Nottingham Forest earlier this year.
Todd Cantwell’s statistics at Rangers
The Gers failed to win a trophy last season, but the signings of Cantwell and Raskin indicated that the future looked bright.
The former Norwich gem enjoyed a wonderful start to life at the club and across just 20 games during the second half of the 2022/23 season, he scored six goals and grabbed five assists, giving the club some momentum heading into the summer.
Despite only being in the team for five months, Cantwell ranked sixth for big chances created (five) in the league along with ranking fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.5) and it proved that he had already made a positive impact among the squad.
Journalist Josh Bunting also heaped praise on him at the end of the term, saying: “Really interested in seeing how Todd Cantwell goes next season. Has proved to be an excellent bit of business and I don’t think it’s unfair to say he’s probably a level above this league. With the momentum he has he’s going to be the catalyst in that Rangers side. Has that desire.”
Unfortunately, he has not quite replicated the form he displayed last season and this is due to a combination of an injury problem which saw him miss five matches while also being played out of position on the right wing.
The Englishman has still contributed one goal and four assists in 22 matches, but these numbers need to improve heading into 2024.
He currently ranks second for assists (three) and fourth for key passes per game (1.5) in the Premiership this season, but with Clement moving him from wide right into a number role recently, this could only benefit his numbers over the coming weeks.
Playing in a central position could allow him to have more of an influence on matches rather than waiting for the ball to come to him out wide.
Todd Cantwell’s valuation has risen at Rangers
The £1.5m fee has proven to be an excellent bargain, especially when you consider how much Cantwell is now valued at after just under a year in Scotland.
According to Transfermarkt in their latest update, the 25-year-old is now valued at €8m (£6.9m) and this value should only continue to rise if he manages to keep playing well.
The 5 foot 9 maestro has the ability to make a big impact in matches with his creativity and Clement will be hoping he can remain fit for the rest of the season.
Beale did not do much right at Rangers, but luring Cantwell to the club for such a low fee was perhaps one of his most productive achievements whilst working alongside Wilson, who struck gold with the English talent.
Clement may be aiming to land at least a couple of players who have the ability to go straight into the starting XI when the domestic season returns without having to spend a fortune.
Establishing a proper player-trading model is imperative and under the Belgian and new director of football recruitment Nils Koppen, the Light Blues have a chance to build a dynasty that could see the club return to the summit of Scottish football.
Luring more players like Cantwell to Glasgow is the priority and the January transfer window will be an exciting time to be a supporter of the club.
