Rangers look set to free up more space on the wage bill with the news that Todd Cantwell is close to a move to Blackburn Rovers.
The 26-year old playmaker downed tools earlier in the summer and hasn’t been seen other than lurking in the background of training ground videos.
With only personal terms to be agreed, Rangers have been easy to deal with in their attempts to get Todd Cantwell off the books.
Bargain Rangers transfer fee for Todd Cantwell revealed
According to David Edgar speaking on the Heart and Hand Daily Update for Wednesday the 28th of August, Cantwell’s fee will be less than a few people would have expected.
When speaking about players heading out of Ibrox in the next couple of days, Edgar said:
“The first one up, is Todd Cantwell, is going to Blackburn Rovers.
“Blackburn had been credited with an interest in Rabbi Matondo but it looks as though they have shifted that interest to Todd Cantwell.
“And it looks as though he is heading down there on a permanent deal.
“Now, a fee has been agreed between the two clubs which is said to be quite low, in terms of maybe expectations, round about the £600,000 mark with a few add ons in place as well.
“Rangers really just keen to get him off the wage bill.”
Rangers don’t lose financially but still take a hit in Cantwell move
This is exactly it.
The priority all summer hasn’t been selling players to make money, it’s been selling players to clear space on the wage bill.
Todd Cantwell leaving behind a £1.1m per year contract could see Philippe Clement bring more than just one player if the recruitment team has done its job.
Rangers have been overpaying in terms of return for years and a reset was badly needed.
Cantwell just hasn’t delivered anywhere near often enough to command such a wage and it will be hoped that another player similar to the profile of Mohamed Diomande can be brought into the number 10 role.
From once being rated as high as £50m and with an £11m option to buy fee when he was on loan at Bournemouth from Norwich City, Rangers have struggled to give Cantwell away.
He has been openly available and yet Nils Koppen has barely had a peep in terms of interested parties.
If Michael Beale’s claim about Cantwell arriving on a free is correct, then it was worth the gamble and Rangers haven’t lost out financially, however, they have still had their fingers burned.
Cantwell is every bit as talented as Matt O’Riley and should have made Rangers a fortune, as the saying goes though, it’s the top two inches that matter most in the race to the top of elite sport.
