January is set to be a major month of flux at Ibrox with a tonne of potential defensive changes on the horizon.
Ibrox Noise brings you all the key developments at the back and the events likely to happen this winter.
Goldson – he’s not signed yet, having sat on the offered deal since May, and is free to talk to other clubs in January. His signals are mixed – says he wants to be remembered for more than just 55, and wants to stay, but evades contract chat and is said to want upwards of £40K. We just do not know what his future holds.
Niko Katic probably isn’t coming back. We can say with a fair degree of certainty that he will remain at Split, having now become a regular starter in Croatia. There is a £3M purchase clause in the loan, and the chances of Hadjuk taking it up are high. He wants to play for Rangers, but this manager just doesn’t want the same, it seems.
Filip Helander may be fit, but we don’t know when. Stevie’s prognosis was only ‘progressing well’ which doesn’t really teach us much at all. We hope for a January return but can’t be sure.
Danilho Doekhi is likely to arrive in January as a replacement for Goldson. The right-sided CB has been on Rangers’ radar for some time, and would be a pre-contract. He’s free to discuss with clubs after new year and the 23-year old Vitesse stopper is high on the agenda.
Jack Simpson we couldn’t even guess. Barely a fringe player, barely even squad. May go out on loan in January because he’s pretty surplus at Ibrox.
Balogun is fine. He’s in good form and he’ll continue on.
And that’s about the shape of it.
We have all been guilty of judging players this season and that is part of supporting the club or any club for that matter. I’ve had my doubts about Tav, Davis, Sakala, Lundstram, Morelos and probably others whether through form, commitment or ability but I’m always happy to eat my words. This is a good assessment of the current status but it is too early to write off Simpson. You are only ever the next injury crisis away from any player stepping up and showing you something they haven’t displayed yet. His confidence would have had a boost yesterday and would have been bigger if Roofe hadn’t prodded his netbound header into the goal. Whatever we saw in him he hasn’t produced it yet but he wasn’t a regular at Bournemouth when we signed him so may still be a work in progress. I’d rather develop him internally than loan him out because we all know how that ends and sadly you are probably correct about Katic with this in mind. Doekhi would probably be a good fit from what we hear and Goldson can’t stay if we have to bow to his rumoured demands. Hellander fully fit is going to be back in the shop window and I’d expect him to be off south next season. Wouldn’t mind seeing John Souttar in the famous blue and he is at a good age with bags of SPL experience.
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