Philippe Clement laments ‘crazy situation’ in Rangers transfer plans
With five players having expiring contracts in the summer, Philippe Clement laments the “crazy situation” and hopes to see an improved transfer model at Rangers.
At the end of the current campaign, first-team players Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, and Kevin Roofe will all be let go unless the Ibrox club extends an offer to them.
The sale of players such as defender Calvin Bassey to Ajax and midfielder Joe Aribo to Southampton – both in 2022 – and Glen Kamara to Leeds last summer has brought in over £30million, although the Govan club did not cash in on the likes of former attackers Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos when they were in top form. The Gers boss has only brought in Portuguese striker Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves so far in the January transfer window.
Clement said ahead of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Dumbarton – with a pitch inspection planned for 1PM Saturday: “We have our plan and I feel that everybody is aligned, that the club really wants to make an effort to do things inside of the budget. This season to have five players out of contract is a crazy situation because you throw away money. They have no value anymore if the contract is ended.
“I am aware that our club is not the richest in the world. We want to bring in transfers who will not only benefit the team immediately but also build value over the course of the following few years and be able to command higher prices when sold. The club has missed this one thing if you look over the last few years. They didn’t have many large outward transfers, which prevented them from receiving funding for other endeavors.
“That is one of the targets, strange as it is for a manager to talk about that but I want to help in that way so the club can grow in every sense. I would prefer to buy Fabio, but he was too expensive, that is why it is a loan now.
“It is getting a good balance in the squad, good, experienced players and also young prospects that you can let grow to a higher level than Glasgow Rangers. That is the objective. And you need to have players who are in contract.
“So, there is a lot of work to be done in that way, everybody in the club is working hard in that way to have clear vision of how-to bring money into the club by developing players but getting results also, winning trophies. You don’t have the situation where you have players of value going free at the end of contract – it can never happen.”
Clement was again asked to comment on Ridvan Yilmaz, who reportedly said that he wants to leave Rangers for Galatasaray. The Ibrox manager insisted the 22-year-old Turkey left-back was committed to the cause.
He said: “If he was not committed, he would never have played against Hertha or Copenhagen (friendlies). He is committed to the club and what he has to do here, otherwise he would not be on the pitch.
“Until now I don’t have the feeling from any player that they are jumping to leave the building. I feel everyone is really involved in the club and what is going on here, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t change tomorrow.”
Rangers will visit League Two team Dumbarton to kick off their cup campaign, but Clement is not impressed with The Sons’ “really bad” field. “I don’t want excuses for playing, but it is what it is,” he remarked.
Is that a decent way for football to be structured? Perhaps not, but because we don’t write the rules, we’re just playing the game and we’ll try to make it the best we can.”
Ben Davies, Roofe, Kieran Dowell, Danilo, and Ben Davies are all sidelined due to injury, and Abdallah Sima is playing for Senegal internationally.
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