As Rangers approach the January transfer window Nils Koppen’s mandate has begun to shift over the last seven days.
Whereas last week a victory over Celtic in the Old Firm might have seen the Ibrox club look for quick fixes to patch up problem areas of the squad, the club’s disastrous showings in Paisley and Motherwell have put paid to any notion of a title race.
Rangers now need to be looking beyond January and the 24/25 season as they look to build a squad with the courage, quality, mentality and ability to properly challenge a dominant Celtic.
As part of that, there are several players in the Rangers squad whose contributions are objectively not justifying their pay packets and it’s time to separate what little wheat there is at Ibrox from the abundance of chaff.
*Salaries taken from Salary Sport
Cyriel Dessers
Cyriel Dessers bore the responsibility of goalscoring whilst injuries devastated the Rangers squad over the last two seasons.
Whilst there have been moments for the Belgian-born Nigerian international, they’ve been increasingly fleeting and Rangers have a huge problem with the club’s number nine.
It was hoped that the returns of Danilo and Hamza Igamane might embolden Cyriel Dessers but the competition has instead had the opposite impact.
The striker cuts a dejected figure every time he pulls on a Rangers jersey and for everyone’s good it’s time to negotiate an exit in January.
Transfer fee: £4.5m (Cremonese)
Year joined: 23/24
Reported salary: £27k per week, £1.4m per annum
Kieran Dowell
Alongside Cyriel Dessers stands ineffective midfielder Kieran Dowell, who has had a limited number of opportunities at Rangers between injuries and competition.
Signed under Michael Beale in the summer of 2023, a window scarcely goes by without fans urging the club to ditch the former Norwich City midfielder.
Handed an opportunity against Motherwell, Dowell’s tepid display is what we’ve grown accustomed to with the midfielder at Ibrox and it’s not an environment conducive to his success.
A move to League One a-la Ben Davies beckons and let the transfer of the midfielder be a lesson to everyone at Ibrox.
Paying high wages for underperforming, middling English Championship players who will never have the required mentality to be winners has a proven track record of failure.
Transfer fee: Pre-contract (Norwich City)
Year joined: 23/24
Reported salary: £16k per week, £823k per annum
Rabbi Matondo
When Rangers signed Rabbi Matondo in the summer of 2022 under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, everyone at Ibrox was quite excited.
This was a youngster who had once cost FC Schalke £11m during his time with the Manchester City academy and a player believed to have high potential.
The winger was also coming off the back of an explosive season on loan with Cercle Brugge with Rangers finally signing a wide player who could add goals and assists.
Well, at least that’s what we thought.
Whilst there have been brief glimpses of ability from Rabbi Matondo, the winger’s availability has been diabolical and he’s quite simply not played enough in two and a half years.
When Matondo does play there is a distinct lack of responsibility in his style and times and the 24-year-old still carries himself like an emerging professional.
We predict a career of middling English Championship football when the winger leaves Rangers with a potential stint in the Premier League off the back of a yo-yo promotion.
That’s if he can stay fit long enough to actually play.
Transfer fee: £2.5m (Schalke 04)
Year joined: 22/23
Reported salary: £23k per week, £1.2m per annum
Tom Lawrence
Welsh playmaker Tom Lawrence is another who was signed under Giovanni van Bronckhorst to much fanfare at Rangers but who has failed to deliver.
Lawrence joined Rangers at the expiration of his Derby County contract with the Gers reportedly holding off Premier League interest to complete the swoop.
After a bright start Lawrence injured his knee and spent the best part of two seasons trying to get fit following setback after setback.
Once again sidelined after playing a role this season, Lawrence just does not play enough to justify his substantial wage and this has been a bitterly disappointing signing.
Transfer fee: Pre-contract (Derby County)
Year joined: 22/23
Reported salary: £22k per week, £1.15m per annum
James Tavernier
The Rangers captain is now in his 10th season at Ibrox and James Tavernier has been pretty open about wanting a testimonial at the club.
Having joined the Gers in 2015, Tavernier has been through so much as Rangers captain and experienced the highs and lows of life at Ibrox in recent years.
Whilst Tavernier will always be remembered for his role in 55 and leading the club from the front to the Europa League Final in Seville, it’s an Ibrox career also associated with drastic failures and collapses.
Too many times under Tav’s leadership have Rangers wilted at the crucial moment and at 33-years-old the Ibrox skipper doesn’t have quite the engine he used to.
Contracted to the club until the summer of 2026, Rangers continue to shell out big money for the club’s highest paid player but the current returns have not heralded the rewards.
Whilst January probably comes too soon, the club need to move in another direction soon and perhaps James Tavernier’s testimonial is the right moment to say goodbye.
Transfer fee: £225k (Wigan Athletic)
Year joined: 15/16
Reported salary: £30k per week, £1.56 per annum
