Rangers don’t have much time to move the players out who aren’t contributing to Philippe Clement’s team or to bring in replacements either.
Speculation has been rife about possible targets like Ibrahim Adel and Kristian Arnstad, however, there won’t be any movement until players like Todd Cantwell are sold.
According to Chris Jack of The Rangers Review, an initial approach has been made by Blackburn who appear to be following up on their interest with discussions under way.
Todd Cantwell in Blackburn talks after Rangers transfer request
Cantwell has only been seen on the odd, rare occasion since pre-season training when the manager said that his playmaker in chief was injured only to then reveal that the 26-year old had handed in a transfer request.
Links to Saudi Arabia and Trabzonspor never came to anything concrete but now it looks like the Gers number 13 could have a way out.
Jack claims that both a loan deal and a permanent offer are on the cards with Blackburn keen to seal a move before the deadline closes on Friday at 11pm.
In nearly every press conference, Clement has had to address the Cantwell elephant in the room including why Ianis Hagi was playing for the B team but the English midfielder wasn’t.
Cantwell exit could be key for Rangers rebuild
After initially only confirming that a transfer request had been submitted, the Gers boss went one further in the build up to last weekend’s clash with Ross County:
“Todd made his own opinion about things, why he doesn’t want to stay in Scotland,” Clement explains. “And I don’t speak only about Rangers. It’s more Scotland, why he wanted to leave.
“I want to talk about players who are now busy for Rangers. (I will talk about the others) after the transfer period, on the 1st and 2nd of September.
“We have an important game against Ross County tomorrow. I’m focused on players who are training, who are working hard to get those results. I’m not going to go into all the rumours, all the things, all the fuss because I’m not focused on that.
“I’m busy with the squad, to make the squad better, together with the board, with the recruitment team. I’m busy with the players who are in the building. I want that we continue talking about that.”
Rangers need to get Todd Cantwell sold so that they can bring in someone with a similar attacking profile as soon as possible.
All summer, Clement has had to make do with just Tom Lawrence as a natural number 10 and, for all that he did well against the Highlanders, he doesn’t have the mobility or fitness to be available every week.
It is a key position and the manager’s hands have been tied, hopefully, Blackburn, Rangers and Todd Cantwell can hammer something out, quickly.
