GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: A general view during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Newcastle at Ibrox Stadium on July 18, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
A week from now, the January transfer window will open for business, and Glasgow Rangers may be looking to bolster their roster.
Since replacing Michael Beale following the summer transfer window, Philippe Clement has not yet had a chance to bring his own players to Ibrox. However, he may use the upcoming month to bolster his team.
Wolverhampton Wanderers center-forward Fabio Silva is one player who has been linked to a potential move to Glasgow before the second half of the season.
According to a recent rumor from the Portuguese publication O’Jogo, Rangers and Celtic are leading the battle to sign him in January. It was unclear, though, if the teenage marksman would have a permanent contract or one that was just for a loan.
As an English attacking midfielder who was also suffering down south, Clement could easily replicate the team’s Todd Cantwell display for Silva. He has been a revelation for the Gers.
Rangers’ performance this season with Cantwell
The ex-England U21 international had a challenging eighteen months with the Canaries before joining Ibrox in January. During the 2021–2022 season, Cantwell did not record a goal or an assist in eight Premier League games. The next season, he returned with zero goals and zero assists in 18 Championship appearances for the Yellows.
Despite his terrible performance in England, he has managed to succeed in Scotland. In 24 Scottish Premiership starts between the second half of the 2022–2023 season and the first half of the current one, the 25-year-old wizard has notched up seven goals and seven assists.
These numbers demonstrate how brilliantly the Rangers used the gifted jewel, catching him at a low period and giving him a chance to flourish.
Why Cantwell 2.0 might be Fabio Silva
Similar to Cantwell’s experience with Norwich, the rumored Gers target has failed at the Premier League level for Wolves this season, with zero goals and zero assists in eight games. Since moving to England, Silva has actually appeared in 62 top-flight games, tallying four goals and three assists. It is undeniable that the 21-year-old marksman has had appalling results in English football. He hasn’t contributed goals or assists even very frequently.
But because of his will to go better, Silva—whom former colleague Conor Coady praised as “fantastic”—did show potential during the 2022–2023 season while on loan at Anderlecht and then PSV.
Before returning to the Netherlands with five goals and two assists in 19 games, the Portuguese forward scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 32 appearances for the former.
For a player of his age, 16 goals and six assists across all competitions last season is a respectable return, and it indicates that the £80k-per-week prospect has what it takes to contribute at the top end of the game. Silva’s numbers from the previous season indicate that Clement is capable of pulling off the club’s Cantwell blinder by saving another player from their difficulties in England and giving them an opportunity to excel in Scottish football.
