While Rangers’ summer is already taking shape – three new players arriving already and five confirmed as leaving on free transfers – the conversations surrounding of another member of Philippe Clement’s squad have gone a little quiet of late.
If it wasn’t for his wages, reportedly in the region of £20,000-a-week, the £3 million man would surely have clubs queiung up to take him away from Ibrox.
Rangers, then, not only paid over the odds last summer when bringing in a forward who had scored just nine goals in the previous three campaigns combined. They also drew up a contract which made Sam Lammers almost unattainable for many of his potential suitors.
FC Utrecht managed to stretch their budget enough to bring Lammers back to the Eredivisie on loan in January. But financing a permanent deal looks beyond them.
There is interest at AZ Alkmaar. But while AZ should bank in excess of £15 million by selling the Golden Boot-sharing Vangelis Pavlidis, Lammers’ pay packet is again rather off-putting.
Rangers face a Sam Lammers problem
“He earns one and a half million euros (a year) at Rangers. The Scots have paid a large part of his salary in these six months (with Utrecht),” Dutch reporter Hans Kraay Jr told ESPN a months ago.
“But, in principle, they will not do that anymore in the new season. And Utrecht will of course not pay one and a half million.
“I know that he is high on the list at AZ as a successor to Pavlidis. But AZ is also not going to pay that one and a half million.”
FC Twente are also among Lammers’ admirers. Back to his silky, swaggering best for the first time since that prolific Heerenveen spell, the Rangers misfit scored 10 goals in 18 games at Utrecht. Eight more than he managed in double the number of games in Glasgow, and more than he produced for any of his previous clubs put together between 2020 and 2024.
But, such is the size of Lammers’ contract at Ibrox, Utrecht and AZ’s Eredivisie rivals FC Twente would find it easier bring in the Dutch international and one-time Manchester United frontman Wout Weghorst.
Eredivisie return hits a snag
“Of course, (Lammers) is being discussed at FC Twente,” club expert Leon ten Voorde tells Voetbalpraat. “He is also a very interesting player. However, he does cost a lot of money.
“I think that he could be more expensive than Wout Weghorst, also in salary. FC Twente cannot afford that. Because FC Utrecht pays, at the top, still more players than FC Twente.”
There are, of course, potential solutions to this particular problem. One of those solutions, however, does involve Sam Lammers taking it upon himself to walk away from an eye-watering contract at Rangers and accepting a substantial pay cut at his new club.
Perhaps Rangers, contrary to what Kraay Junior believes, may be willing to let Lammers leave on loan again, in the hope that he can pick up where he left off at Utrecht. And, therefore, boost the chances of a sale that would see Clement recoup much of Mick Beale’s £3 million investment later down the line.
Ianis Hagi is another who could leave Ibrox
Lammers is not the only gifted forward Rangers may hope to cash in on after a spell away from Glasgow, meanwhile. Ianis Hagi needs a clean break and a fresh start. And one may be offered to him by a certain Celtic legend.
Though, like with Lammers, the finances involved mean taking Hagi away from Rangers is easier said than done.
“Gheorghe Hagi was a huge player known worldwide. I can say that he is Romania’s national treasure,” Hoops icon and new Rapid Bucharest coach Neil Lennon tells Sport Romania, hailing Hagi Jr’s legendary father before sending a message to the player himself.
“I know that Hagi is nicknamed ‘The King’. I won’t be the ‘Emperor’, maybe I’ll be the ‘Prince’!
“I also say to Ianis Hagi; ‘Come here, come to Rapid!’ I don’t know if we can afford it, but he’s more than welcome if he wants to come to Rapid.
“He had a difficult time at Rangers due to injuries, but when he played he was very good. He is an excellent player. He is always welcome at Rapid.
“Give him this (message) from me.”
