Clement can repeat Arfield blinder in Rangers deal for £33k-p/w titan.
Rangers are one of the clubs eyeing up a move for a Premier League defender
The Glasgow Rangers will play Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup’s fourth round this evening, marking their final competitive return. They will be hoping that this match will be the beginning of a trip that ends with them winning the cup for a record 35 times come May.
Since coming to Ibrox in mid-October, Philippe Clement has already won the League Cup. However, he has his sights set on more than just the Scottish Cup, as the Light Blues have a chance to win the Premiership.
With the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Fabio Silva, Clement will be aiming to add one or more players in addition to the ones that are already scheduled to happen quickly.
The injury crisis that engulfed the squad prior to Christmas showcased that the club need more depth in certain positions, and this should give the Belgian a licence to delve into the market.
Rangers’ search for new signings
Ben Johnson, a defender for West Ham United, is reportedly attracting interest from the Light Blues, per the Daily Mail.
Leeds United and Sheffield United, two Premier League teams, will compete for the 23-year-old, who has made it plain that he will not be signing a new contract at the Hammers.
In order to fetch a good price for the right-back, David Moyes will now be eager to let him go during the January transfer window; else, he will lose him for nothing come summertime.
It remains to be seen how much of a budget Clement has to work with before committing to bringing him in this month, as tying him down on a pre-contract agreement may be the smarter move this month.
This could allow the 49-year-old coach to not only bring in a reliable defender for nothing, but also allow him to use whatever funds he has available to strengthen his midfield and attack in January.
Rangers have had plenty of success with signing players on pre-contract agreements from England, with Scott Arfield being one of the most notable examples, and Johnson could certainly follow in his footsteps.
Scott Arfield spent five seasons at Rangers
Before becoming a free agent and joining the Steven Gerrard revolution at Ibrox in the summer of 2018, the former Canadian international played for five years with Burnley, making 86 appearances in the Premier League.
His first three seasons with the team were crucial to his success, as the midfielder went on to make 28 Premiership appearances and assist the team snap a ten-year league title drought in spectacular manner.
Under Gerrard, Arfield showed off his offensive prowess, contributing 46 goals to the score in his first three seasons (28 goals and 18 assists), albeit these totals fell in his final two years in Glasgow.
Indeed, across both 2021/22 and 2022/23, the 35-year-old notched 15 goals and grabbed just one assist as the club only won the Scottish Cup.
He ended his five-year stay in Scotland at the end of last season, and he could perhaps feel aggrieved at not securing at least another year on his deal as the midfielder would still have offered something from the bench.
There is no doubt he was one of Gerrard’s finest signings, especially as it cost the club nothing, and they could replicate this move by luring Johnson north of the border.
How Ben Johnson could fit into the Rangers side
The £33k-per-week defender made his debut for West Ham during the 2018/19 campaign, yet it took until the 2020/21 season for him to make more than ten Premier League appearances as he firmly established himself as part of the senior squad.
Although Johnson is a right-back by trade, he can also play on the left side of defense or even in the middle of the midfield. Clement may greatly benefit from Johnson’s positional versatility.
Because of his versatility, he might be able to fill in at several various positions as needed by the manager. Given that James Tavernier reaches 33 this year, he might even end up being the long-term heir.
The fact that Johnson enjoys playing long balls and crosses frequently and is an excellent crosser and ball interceptor according to WhoScored suggests that he might make a respectable right-back for the team.
Ben Johnson has been underused by West Ham this season
The young player had a respectable 2022–2023 season, especially in the Europa Conference League.
The right-back demonstrated his skills on the grand European stage as West Ham ultimately won the trophy. He not only ranked fourth among the entire squad for the competition’s overall Sofascore rating (7.15), but he also ranked second for accurate passes per game (48.8), third for accurate long balls (2.7), and second for interceptions per game (1.7).
This season, however, Johnson has played in just seven matches for the senior side, including only two Premier League games, and it looks as though his time at the club is approaching an end.
During his only league start against Brighton and Hove Albion a few weeks ago, the 23-year-old made two tackles, two interceptions, two clearances and won three of his five ground duels, along with taking 61 touches, and it indicated that he still has plenty to offer.
He was praised by West Ham View on X, who said: “It would definitely be a mistake to let Ben Johnson leave the club this month or on a free in the summer.
He appears nimble, astute, and ravenous. has, in my opinion, performed better than Coufal in the few games he has played recently.
After being labeled a “wonderful professional” by former Hammers coach Stuart Pearce, Johnson is still developing at a young age, thus joining a team that could provide him with more regular minutes would help him improve as a player and show off his true potential.
He will have the opportunity to play continental football for one of the biggest clubs in Britain and compete for trophies if Rangers can persuade him that moving to Ibrox is the right thing for his future.
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