All is not well at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window after Rangers dropped more points on Sunday.
The 2-2 draw at Motherwell saw Philippe Clement‘s side slip 14 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic ahead of the Old Firm on Thursday. And it also served as the latest reminder of precisely what needs to change for the Gers to put themselves back in serious title contention.
A fourth straight league outing without a goal means Cyriel Dessers could be on the chopping block should a buyer come in. But many fans will be hoping the Nigerian is just one of numerous moves conducted by the club in the coming weeks.
Cyriel Dessers leads clearout
Sales will be a chief priority for Rangers this winter in an effort to clear the dead wood while bringing in some much-needed capital. And four names stand out from the rest among those who could bring in some useful sums: Dessers, Ridvan Yilmaz, Alex Lowry and Adam Devine.
Demoted left-back Yilmaz is reportedly drawing interest from Trabzonspor, where he could reunite with Senol Gunes, the same manager who handed him his Turkey debut. Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne are understood to have enquired about the availability to Dessers, who looks surplus to requirements in light of Hamza Igamane’s form up front.
The Daily Record reported earlier in December that Clement is open to selling both Lowry and Devine, both of whom have contracts due to expire next summer. Giovanni van Bronckhorst appeared to be a fan of both youngsters, though any early progress has since stalled under incumbent Clement.
However, it’s important to note the current lack of funds at Ibrox could affect any bid for a Dessers replacement. But if the former Genk star brings in somewhere between £3million to £4m, fans could see that money immediately reinvested to add another string to Clement’s attack.
Midfield hitman signs
All signs are moving positively in relation to Rangers’ hunt for Steaua Bucharest midfielder Darius Olaru, who is expected to cost around £4m. The 26-year-old has 15 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances for the Romanian giants this term and could be a big help relieving the current forward corps of some responsibility up front.
Cristi Pustai – who served as manager and technical director at Olaru’s former club, Gaz Metan – tipped his former charge for big things. But with Genoa also said to be interested in the player, Pustai highlighted the need for minutes as being crucial for the playmaker at this stage of his career.
“I’ve always said about Darius Olaru that he’s a player who can handle any championship, but he has to go and play,” he told Romanian outlet Sportpesurse. “He’s at the age where he has to do that, to also catch the national team.
“He has to be very careful about the choice he makes. It also depends on the conditions under which the transfer will be made. In the end, Darius must be aware that it is a decisive moment, when he has to choose.”
Rangers have also been linked with a move for Standard Liege midfielder and Northern Ireland international Isaac Price. Should the Scots lose out in their pursuit of primary target Olaru, it’s possible Price could be viewed as a handy alternative.
Double arrival in defence
Arguably the greatest priority of all next month is stemming the flow of goals being leaked by the Gers. Clement’s men have conceded 13 in the Premiership thus far, and while far from catastrophic, it’s still more than three times as many as Celtic have let in over the same span.
Refreshing the ranks at the back is inevitable as Leon Balogun prepares to turn 37 next June. It also hasn’t helped that Nana Kasanwirjo’s knee injury has seen him absent for the past month as he recovers at parent club Feyenoord.
Dutch compatriot Robin Propper is another expendable name given his troubles adapting to Scottish football following his move from Twente. And even John Souttar – whose contract expires in 2026 – is suffering from injury and there’s no cast-iron return date for him either.