Rangers are eager to ship some of the club’s biggest stars out of the door to finally kickstart what has been a stuttering period of the transfer window to date.
Whilst Rangers fans have been disappointed with recent activity into the club, Gers manager Philippe Clement has been clear that sales would be needed before deals could be completed.
At the same time, the Belgian manager has intimated the club’s determination to add experience to the ranks this summer.
Despite a lack of movement or reliable reporting, nothing has changed in this regard.
Rangers had a productive first few weeks of the window but the additions of Jefte (Fluminense), Oscar Cortes (RC Lens), Clinton Nsiala (AC Milan), Connor Barron (Aberdeen), and Hamza Igamane (FAR Rabat) had the next few years in mind.
As the window enters phase two, transfer attentions are firmly fixed on adding the required quality to take Philippe Clement’s team to the next level.
Now, the exits of four players looks set to give Rangers the transfer leeway they need to complete deals and fund what could be a busy few weeks.
Rangers bracing for exit of leadership duo
Rangers captain James Tavernier heads the list of players who could be set to leave the club this window.
The Ibrox skipper, 32, has been strongly linked with the exit door all summer long, with Rangers rejecting an opening offer from Trabzonspor for Tavernier over the weekend.
The Turks are expected to return with another offer with Tavernier’s situation alerting former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Besiktas.
Following the Rangers skipper out the door could be Ibrox vice-captain Connor Goldson.
Whilst we’re still waiting on more official confirmation, Goldson was allegedly spotted leaving Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport with internet sleuths working out the jet was bound for Cyprus.
It’s spawned much reporting around the future of the 31-year-old centre-back with one leading Cyprus football account suggesting the defender is in talks with Aris Limassol.
Whilst we are still waiting to confirm the exact details surrounding this interest, Rangers are open to Connor Goldson leaving the club this summer.
The sales of both players could see Rangers bank a combined fee somewhere in the region of £6m.
As per Salary Sport, Tavernier and Goldson also earn £30k and £37k per week respectively, with their sales freeing up around £3.5m from the annual wage bill.
The Rangers leadership duo would follow fellow senior Ibrox players like Borna Barisic and John Lundstram out of the club this summer.
Both players have moved to Turkish side Trabzonspor, with Tavernier potentially set to join them.
Rangers want £5.5m for loan pair
Rangers leadership duo James Tavernier and Connor Goldson aren’t the only players who are expected to leave Ibrox.
Romanian international playmaker Ianis Hagi is expected to complete his exit out of Ibrox without returning to the club for pre-season training.
Having spent last season out on loan with Alavés in Spain, Hagi has agreed personal terms over a return to Italy with Fiorentina.
However, it remains unseen if the Italians will match Rangers’ £3m asking price but there is believed to be substantial interest in the 25-year-old this summer.
All going to plan, Rangers will bank close to what they paid KRC Genk for the player in 2020 in the coming days with Hagi’s agent confirming an exit is imminent exit.
Rangers also remain hopeful of shipping out Dutch flop Sam Lammers, despite the striker failing to negotiate a move to the Netherlands.
Lammers has rejected a move to NEC Nijmegen this week – the fourth Dutch club interested in his services – as he rakes in a £25k per week wage at Ibrox.
Rangers are expected to negotiate the player’s exit however, with Sam Lammers currently training with the reserves and the Dutch forward clear he wants to move.
With Rangers looking to recoup at least £2.5m from the sale of Lammers, Rangers are willing to take a £1m loss on the former Atalanta hitman.
In total, Rangers hope to recoup between £11m and £12m from the sales of all four players, with somewhere in the region of £5.5m saved on annual salaries.
This money will then be recycled back into the Rangers kitty with Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen ready to launch a series of moves into Glasgow.
