Between the summer transfer window and in January, Rangers managed to move on several big earners who were contributing very little.
Money was saved off the wage bill and room was made in the squad for new recruits, unfortunately for the manager though, most of them only left on loan.
For some, it is hard to take seeing players who have flopped for Rangers do well out on loan, however, this is the only way that Philippe Clement can enhance his transfer budget.
Ben Davies shines again as Rangers loaned avoids personal plaudits
Players like Jose Cifuentes, Kieran Dowell, Rabbi Matondo and Ben Davies will return to Ibrox in the summer despite none of them having a future at the club.
In Davies though, the Birmingham City love affair continues with another defensive masterclass in their 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic.
Birmingham’s social media was back with the “brick wall” compliments for Davies again with the loan Ranger giving his thoughts on the game:
“It was a tough game, I think in the first half we played a good game. Second half it was more stop-start, but I think when we had to dig in and grind it out, we did that well I think,” explained Davies.
“We’ve done that well a few times this season now. I think it’s a day where. You need a bit of luck or a special goal and I think that Jay (Stansfield) obviously provided that.
“I think the clean sheet’s pleasing today, I think that, obviously, it starts from the front and I think that the more work that the lads do at the front, the easier it is for us at the back. It’s a complete team effort.
“Yeah it feels good, you know he’s (Christoph Klarer) great to play with, I think it’s a unit at the back and through the team which helps with the structure we’ve got but he’s great to play with and we help each other out and, obviously, he’s an important player for us because he’s played the most games for us.”
How much could Rangers get if they sold Davies?
At 29-years old, Davies is well into his peak as a centre-half and a consistent run of games has given him a chance to rediscover the sort of form that earned him a surprise move to Liverpool and then Rangers.
You simply don’t earn a move to Liverpool in recent years if you aren’t playing consistently well or have a good reputation.
Birmingham will probably want to keep Davies, such has been his form, but the best case for Nils Koppen is that there is a bidding war from clubs who have also been impressed.
Given the inflated transfer fees in England, getting the £4m fee that was paid to Liverpool in 2022 isn’t entirely out of the question.
