Glasgow Rangers begin their Scottish Premiership season next Saturday as the Ibrox side travel to Edinburgh.
Hearts will be the opponents and given how impressive a finish they had to the 2023/24 campaign, Philippe Clement will be wary of how big a threat they could pose to his Rangers side.
The supporters still haven’t gotten over how poor a start to the season the Gers suffered last year, losing to Kilmarnock, Celtic and Aberdeen in their first seven matches. A similar run like this could derail their title challenge before it even begins.
Despite the need to overhaul the playing squad, it looks like several players who started the final game of the season could be about to play a part next week.
Might one recent signing be in the first-team squad, however? An update has emerged on a player who was brought to the Light Blues by Michael Beale…
Rangers could sell former Premier League midfielder
According to Heart and Hand’s David Edgar, who was speaking on the daily update show, Rangers could soon be losing more than just James Tavernier and Connor Goldson this summer if all goes to plan.
“One player who could be heading out the door is Todd Cantwell,” stated Edgar. “Reports coming from papers in England that Rangers are prepared to listen to offers for him. Saudi Arabia interest with, apparently, James Bisgrove’s club Al Qadsiah interested in taking Todd Cantwell over there.”
Could this update suggest Clement is going to cash in on a player who looked like he fitted in at the Light Blues perfectly during his first six months at the club?
If the Belgian can receive a solid transfer fee, then it might be one way of bringing some much-needed funds.
Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers
Between February and May 2023, Cantwell settled into life in Glasgow extraordinarily well, scoring six goals while registering five assists in just 20 matches.
Goals
6
7
Assists
4
5
Big chances created
5
7
Key passes per game
1.3
1.7
Successful dribbles per game
1.5
1.2
Shots per game
2.1
2.3
Total duels won per game
5.6
4.1
It looked as though Beale had hit the jackpot with a player who was valued at around £40m by his former club less than two years previously.
Despite this initial goal-laden spell, Cantwell took time to really get going last term. He suffered an injury against Celtic in September, while his first goal didn’t arrive until November. Even then, Clement was often playing him out of position on the right wing.
Despite this, Cantwell was one of the club’s finest performers in the league last term. Among his teammates, the 26-year-old ranked fourth for goals and assists (12), third for big chances created (seven), fourth for key passes per game (1.7) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.2), demonstrating his class over a range of performance metrics.
Just when he was coming into form, Cantwell suffered a hamstring injury which meant he missed several games during the title run-in.
While Clement needs to sell in order to make new signings, is moving on one of the better players at the club a wise move?
Todd Cantwell’s market value at Rangers
The Light Blues paid just £1.5m to bring Cantwell north of the border 18 months ago and there is no doubt they stand to make a significant profit on that figure should he leave.
At the time of writing, the Englishman is currently valued at €8.5m (£7m) according to Transfermarkt, a figure which could rise should he start the campaign off well.
This is the highest in the current squad at the minute, showing just how impressive he has been during his time with the Ibrox side, and he is even worth four times more than another number ten who has been linked with an exit…
Ianis Hagi could be leaving Rangers
The Romanian dynamo spent the entire 2023/24 campaign on loan at Spanish side Alaves in a bid to secure regular first-team football after his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Despite a fresh start, Hagi scored just twice in all competitions for the La Liga outfit, starting only eight matches in the top flight.
He did impress at Euro 2024, grabbing an assist against Slovakia which secured Romania’s progress into the last 16, but it looks as though Clement is ready to cash in on the playmaker.
According to reports from his homeland, Hagi has seemingly agreed terms with Italian side Fiorentina as he bids to depart Ibrox. Although it appears as though personal terms have been agreed, the Serie A club still have to match the £3m valuation which the Gers have placed on the player.
If Clement can sell him for this fee, it would represent a decent piece of business, especially considering his current market valuation is slightly lower…
Ianis Hagi’s market valuation at Rangers
According to Transfermarkt, the Romania international is worth €2m (£1.7m), which is a rapid decrease from his previous high in December 2022 of €7m (£5.8m), showing the impact that injuries have had on the midfielder during his spell at Ibrox.
This value is four times less than Cantwell's. If Clement can sell both attacking midfielders this summer, he could be in line to record a wonderful profit on the pair, although he will be short in this area of the pitch.
Is it worth it? Considering how many new signings the club needs in order to challenge Celtic for domestic prizes next season, it is certainly a gamble the Belgian seems keen on taking.
Not only do the Light Blues need another striker, but signing a centre-back and another winger is also high on the priority list.
Sacrificing two players for the greater good of the team could be the strategy that Clement takes in the coming weeks, especially with the Champions League qualifiers looming.
Cantwell and Hagi have both enjoyed some success since arriving at Rangers, but with money required to strengthen, the duo could be the first two to be sold this summer.
Cantwell 2.0: Clement ready to reignite Rangers move for EFL star
Philippe Clement could sign a free agent in the next few weeks….
ByRoss Kilvington
