With Steven Gerrard’s summer overhaul hitting full swing as we tick towards August, questions still remain about who will leave Rangers before the transfer window ends.
The former Liverpool ace has done well in clearing out the likes of Jason Holt, Carlos Pena, and Joe Dodoo. However, with all of these just loan deals, the club could do with getting some of the fringe men off the payroll permanently.
Fabio Cardoso is one whose future at the club is in severe doubt. The Portuguese was favoured by Pedro Caixinha, but proved to be an unreliable source at the heart of the defence as he consistently showed weakness in the air and on the ball. This led to him being dropped from the side when Graeme Murty was in temporary charge, and many fans have already lost patience with him.
With Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic at the heart of the new-look back-line, and Gerrard still in the market for another defender, it would appear Cardoso’s days at the club are numbered.
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Lee Hodson is another who fell mightily out of favour after a brief stint in the side under Mark Warburton. Too many goals were being leaked down the full-back’s side, and despite showing good versatility, has failed to show strong defensive ability when given the chance.
Gerrard has so far failed to give the Northern Ireland internationalist a look in since becoming manager, and has dropped him from his Europa League squad to face Osijek. With Jon Flanagan, Declan John, James Tavernier, and Lee Wallace all seemingly ahead of him in the full-back slots – Hodson will need to look elsewhere for regular football.
The defender will have clubs interested in the lower leagues down in England, having had stints there with MK Dons and Brentford. However, Rangers may have to cut their losses in a bid to get him off the wage bill.
Andy Halliday had a horrific end to last season, with his confidence shattered after two dismal derby-day defeats to Celtic at Hampden and Parkhead. The left-back was an impressive performer in Warburton’s first year at the club, but has fallen out of favour with the supporters after consistently poor displays.
A decision to move him to left-back proved fruitless, and he’ll surely be nowhere Gerrard’s plans given the recruitment drive in the midfield. Halliday’s best days as a Ranger are surely now behind him, and a move to another side in Scotland or down south would be best for both parties.
Having unhappy squad players in the dressing room won’t be good for morale, and this is why Gerrard needs to find a way to get the rest of the deadwood off the books. Cardoso, Hodson, and Halliday are the three who fit the bill, and many Gers supporters won’t shed too many tears should they be moved on this summer.