Rangers have named their price for the permanent transfer of failed summer signing Sam Lammers as he confirms a January loan move to FC Utrecht.
The 26-year-old forward has had a disastrous six-month stint in Glasgow following a £3.5m summer move from Serie A side Atalanta.
Toiling out on loan in the last few seasons, the Italians must be laughing all the way to the bank for recouping such a fee from Ibrox for the stuttering frontman.
Scoring only twice in 31 games for the club, pound-for-pound Sam Lammers has been one of the worst transfers in recent memory and now the striker heads to Utrecht trying to rebuild his career.
Rangers name Sam Lammers price
There has been some conjecture surrounding a potential option-to-buy on the Sam Lammers deal but it appears Utrecht have no option on the Rangers forward.
That doesn’t mean Rangers haven’t already named their price with club insiders Heart & Hand revealing the Gers want £2.5m for the Dutch forward.
Reports earlier in the day had suggested that FC Utrecht – should they decide to move for Sam Lammers permanently – would only be able to afford £1.5m.
“Sam Lammers will hopefully today complete his loan move to FC Utrecht in Holland,” said H&H host David Edgar on the platform’s Daily Update (10/01). “He will head over there until the end of the season.
“There is no buy clause in his contract. Rangers I believe would be looking for £2.5m for Sam Lammers if he was to leave; Rangers of course paid £3.5m for him.
“He will have at the end of the season three years left on his deal. It was a four-year deal he signed with the club and he will be available in the summer.
“I doubt very much it will be FC Utrecht. They don’t have a lot of money. They might be able to put something together in the summer if he does really well for them.
“But with his wages etc I don’t know so I think it’s more a case of him going to a club where expectation levels are nowhere near what they are at Rangers.”
Utrecht move can rebuild forward’s reputation
Given what’s at stake this season it’s no understatement to describe the signing of Sam Lammers as a disaster for Rangers.
When the Ibrox club spend this much money they need a return and given the forward’s first-team exposure this season, the striker cannot say he wasn’t given a chance.
Signed by now sacked manager Michael Beale, there must be some ego on the ex-Rangers boss to believe he can unlock the potential of the confidence-sapped striker.
After a disappointing spell at Atalanta – where he spent three loan spells out at Eintracht Frankfurt, Sampdoria, and Empoli – the player’s ghastly goal return had fans baulking in the summer before Lammers even joined up with the squad.
Those fears have been realised in Sam Lammers’ short-lived spell in Glasgow and now the hitman moves to Utrecht in an attempt to salvage his career.
Whilst everyone involved would rather Rangers just cut their losses on the striker this January, it’s going to be hard to convince anyone to cough up £2.5m as things stand.
Therefore, everyone will be hoping Sam Lammers impresses in the Netherlands and convinces someone to put up the funds in the summer.
