The future of Rangers first-teamer Tom Lawrence hangs in the balance with the Welsh playmaker’s contract ticking down amid yet another injury blow.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder in the final year of an initial three-year Rangers contract which was signed when the ex-Manchester United talent’s contract expired with Derby County.
Rangers pulled off a coup to sign the then Rams captain on a free transfer amid swirling interest from a number of Premier League clubs.
But things haven’t gone to plan for Tom Lawrence at Ibrox with injury devastating the midfielder’s two and a half years in Glasgow to date.
Now, as Philippe Clement promises to revamp Rangers’ heavily criticised contract model, the future of the high-earning Ibrox senior is up in the air.
That’s despite the fact Rangers have the option of signing Lawrence down to another year in Glasgow.
Tom Lawrence out for ‘up to six weeks’
Former Rangers chairman John Bennett hailed Rangers’ acquisition of Tom Lawrence as a marquee signing under the management of Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox.
But after an initially bright start at Rangers, the Welsh international’s time in Glasgow has been devastated by a string of injury problems.
A serious Achilles injury cut Lawrence’s first season at Rangers short before surgery on the recurring problem and a stuttering recovery badly impacted the midfielder’s second campaign at Ibrox.
Now, Philippe Clement has confirmed that Lawrence will be out for up to six weeks after going off injured in the Premier Sports Cup victory over Motherwell at Hampden.
“Tom (Lawrence) got injured in the cup semi-final, like you saw. So he will be out for several weeks,” said Clement ahead of the Europa League clash with Olympiacos. “Four to six weeks.
“So he will not be there the next couple of weeks.
“He’s been important. He took the role really well this season, scored several really important goals but not only that, also in the play, also defensive wise.
“But it gives chances to other players to prove themselves. It’s like that in football.
Rangers contract situation ‘can never happen again’
The situation has raised major doubts over the future of Tom Lawrence at Rangers with the midfielder technically entering the final year of his deal.
Lawrence signed a contract worth the guts of £3.5m when he signed a three-year deal with Rangers back in the summer of 2022 (Salary Sport).
At the time, Rangers insiders Heart & Hand claimed the midfielder also had a the option of another year on the contract.
Philippe Clement has been openly critical of Rangers’ previous contract and squad management model, which focused on signing high-profile players from down south on high wages.
Rangers have seen the likes of high-earning, valuable players such as Alfredo Morelos, Filip Helander, Ryan Kent, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and even Connor Goldson tick down their contracts in recent seasons.
Goldson aside all of these players have left for nothing.
With Rangers taking a new youthful direction in their approach to the transfer market, the Gers must either hand Lawrence a longer-term deal or ship the midfielder out in the summer.
The Belgian manager has previously explained that releasing players on a free ‘can never be allowed to happen again’.
“This season to have five players out of contract is a crazy situation because you throw away money,” Clement said in January. “They have no value any more if the contract is ended.
“I know that we are not the most wealthy club in the world. We want to get transfers in that can have an impact now but also can have added value for the next couple of years on the field and selling them for bigger amounts.
If you look at the last couple of years, this is one thing that the club has missed. They didn’t have big outgoing transfers and because of that, not getting money in to do other things.
“That is one of the targets, strange as it is for a manager to talk about that but I want to help in that way so the club can grow in every sense.
“It is getting a good balance in the squad, good experienced players and also young prospects that you can let grow to a higher level than Glasgow Rangers. That is the objective. And you need to have players who are in contract.
“So there is a lot of work to be done in that way, everybody in the club is working hard in that way to have clear vision of how to bring money into the club by developing players but getting results also, winning trophies.
“You don’t have the situation where you have players of value going free at the end of contract – it can never happen.”
