There is a lot of shuffling taking place at Rangers as we speak.
The summer departures thus far are confirmed as John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe, Fabio Silva and Abdallah Sima.
The ‘incomings’ are Brazil’s £700,000 Jefte, plus the permanent £4.5M signing of Mohamed Diomande (to be confirmed at the start of July), alongside a new loan for Oscar Cortes itself becoming permanent next summer at the same price as Diomande’s.
Last but not least the new one year contract for a beaming Leon Balogun.
So, let’s have a look at where things currently are with the squad, as we head into the close season then pre-season.
Goals:
Jack Butland, Robby McCrorie, Kieran Wright.
We understand McCrorie has officially handed in a transfer request, but as things currently stand, he, Wright and Butland are our goalies.
Defence:
Adam Devine, James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Leon King, John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte.
There’s a lot of speculation in here, and a lot of things in due process and time, but as things currently sit, that’s the defensive roster. It will change.
Midfield:
Nico Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, Dujon Sterling.
We always include Sterling here even though Clement refuses to use him in his best position; we cross our fingers that that changes next season.
Attacking midfield:
Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence, Alex Lowry, Ianis Hagi, Kieran Dowell.
Hagi is 99% gone, Lowry isn’t part of Clement’s plans, and Lawrence was told he can leave. Dowell is surplus. But nevertheless, on the books, right now, that’s our selection.
Wings:
Oscar Cortes, Rabbi Matondo, Scott Wright, Ross McCausland.
That’s it – rather threadbare given this manager likes to play with width there. Very, very poor – we need better than this.
Striker:
Danilo (still not actually fit yet), Cyriel Dessers (also injured), Sam Lammers.
Abysmal, atrocious up front, we included Lammers because he’s technically ours again. For now. We badly need new stuff in there.
So that’s:
Butland, McCrorie, Wright, Devine, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Balogun, Davies, Ridvan, Jefte, Raskin, Diomande, Sterling, Cantwell, Lawrence, Hagi, Lowry, Matondo, Cortes, Wright, Dessers, Danilo, and Lammers.
Wow, how awful is this 24-man squad!
Right now the best XI is probably:
Butland, Tav, Balogun, Souttar, Ridvan, Sterling, Diomande; Cantwell; Matondo, Cortes; Dessers.
It’s ALRIGHT. In places, it’s ok. But this is the stuff that failed last season, and with only Jefte as a new addition Rangers critically, badly, desperately new blood in there. And a lot of it.
But that’s not easy to find.
The clear out is underway but this lot are nowhere near ready for next season.