Rangers have told fringe players Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell they are free to leave this month as Philippe Clement looks to clear the decks.
The pair have just four Premiership starts between them this season with Matondo last featuring as an ineffectual second-half sub against Dundee, while Dowell got three minutes off the bench against St Johnstone. But neither are in Clement’s long-term plans and the Rangers Review report they have both been told they can leave if they can find a new club this month.
That would free up crucial funds for Rangers to invest in reinforcements after CEO Patrick Stewart admitted they are on the lookout – but stressed that it would be tough to do major surgery on the squad. “There is activity,” he said last week. “Whether that translates into players coming in depends on whether we can get the right profile of player in a deal that is right for the club. We’re going to be really disciplined about that.”
Meanwhile Cyriel Dessers admits he’s going through a ‘difficult’ time at Rangers after losing his place to strike sensation Hamza Igamane. And he has revealed he may have to move because he is desperate for first team football…. preferably at ‘great club Rangers.’
The Nigerian international bagged his 13th goal of the season in midweek after coming on as a late sub in Rangers’ 3-0 success over Aberdeen. But he’s facing an uncertain future after losing his spot to Moroccan ace Igamane and he’s been linked with moves to Italian clubs Empoli and Cagliari, French side Saint-Etienne and Spanish outfit Leganes. And he admitted, in an interview in the Netherlands, he accepted he’s not found it easy after being dropped by manager Philippe Clement.
Dessers said: “Last month I lost my starting spot. The boy who is playing now is also a good striker, he also scores. I try to support him and help him, because I want the team to win. But it is difficult.
“I don’t know what my situation is now. I can imagine that Rangers might want to earn something from me this month. But January is a difficult window. Clubs that are doing well probably also have a striker who is performing well. And few clubs that need goals will immediately have the millions ready. We’ll just have to wait and see.
“I’m at a great club, but I’m 30-years-old and want to play every week, preferably at Rangers. If there are different feelings about that internally, then we need to talk.”
However, Dessers has all but ruled out a return to Dutch football, where he played for Feyenoord, Utrecht, Heracles and NAC Breda. He said: “Back to the Netherlands for me? Difficult. Feyenoord now has three excellent strikers. The other clubs I played for also have a special place in my heart. But I do have a certain price and there are only a few clubs that can pay that. In any case, I want to play in a serious competition, for the prizes. The fire is still burning.”