James Tavernier and Connor Goldson, who were both linked to moves to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq, could depart Ibrox this summer, according to Rangers.
A significant regulation shift in Saudi Arabia has created opportunities for Al-Ettifaq, as teams in the Saudi Pro League want to bolster their rosters with more foreign players, according to the Daily Record [25 April].
Given that Al-Ettifaq has dropped to seventh place in the league this season, the former Gers boss is reportedly eager to acquire both defensive studs to bolster his squad in Saudi Arabia.
The notion of the two leaving Scotland at the conclusion of the season may not excite the Ibrox supporters too much, especially Tavernier, but in the end, manager Philippe Clement may stand to gain.
After joining the Gers in October, the Belgian has performed admirably. He has won the Scottish League Cup, advanced to the Scottish Cup final, and closed a sizable gap on Celtic, their Old Firm rivals, at the top of the Scottish Premiership standings.
Nevertheless, it is hard to overlook that Clement’s team at Ibrox is getting older and will eventually need to be revamped. This summer might offer him the ideal chance to do so.
Along with the two already mentioned, some of the players that are 30 years of age or older are Jack Butland, Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, and Kemar Roofe.
Under Philippe Clement, Rangers may be about to rebuild.
Having rebuilt clubs and guided various teams to victory, Clement is well-known. He has done this with Genk, Club Brugge, and Monaco.
The manager has a very stable foundation to work with after already winning the League Cup and challenging for the Scottish Premiership title. He will be eager to accomplish the same in Scotland.
Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande (who has an obligation to buy), and Wolves attacker Fabio Silva were brought in on loan by Clement in January. In the summer, he plans to make some permanent additions to the team.
Rangers would be foolish to turn down reasonable bids for Tavernier and Goldson this summer, since doing so might ultimately help Clement shape the team in time for the 2024–2025 season.
Since joining from Wigan in 2015, the former has scored 125 goals in total, and both have been fantastic contributors to the team. It will be very challenging to replace him.
But all good things come to an end, so perhaps now is the right moment to call it quits?
