Glasgow Rangers will be looking to complete some business in the January transfer window when it opens in the new year.
However, Philippe Clement might not have much money to work with at Ibrox, indicating that he could be forced to sell a player or two in order to raise some funds to strengthen his first-team squad.
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While the mid-season window isn’t one for dramatic overhaul, if a few players could be moved on, combined with a couple of incomings, it could set the team up nicely for the second half of the season.
With this in mind, we have taken a look at five players who the manager could potentially sell in January…
Player
Club signed from
Oscar Cortes
Lens (loan)
Fabio Silva
Wolves (loan)
Mohamed Diomande
FC Nordsjaelland (loan)
Todd Cantwell
Norwich City
Nicolas Raskin
Standard Liege
Aaron Ramsey
Juventus (loan)
Mateusz Zukowski
Lechia Gdańsk
James Sands
New York City (loan)
Amad Diallo
Man United (loan)
Scott Wright
Aberdeen
1 Cyriel Dessers Linked to: Saint-Etienne
Heading into the last game of the year, Cyriel Dessers has scored 12 goals and registered four assists across all competitions this season, which represents a decent return in front of goal.
Having a player who is able to chip in with these sorts of numbers is surely valuable for Clement, but the reality is that Dessers is out of his depth in the current squad.
With Danilo returning to full fitness and the improvement of Hamza Igamane with every passing match, Clement already has two strikers who could be his main options between now and the end of the season.
According to reports, French side Saint-Etienne are reportedly keen on signing Dessers as Clement looks for a way to move the forward out of Ibrox.
The Ligue 1 side will need to stump up £3.3m if they wish to sign the Nigerian, and this might prove to be a major stumbling block. If a fee can be sorted, the move could work well for both parties and give the manager some much-needed funds which can be used to bolster his team.
2 Hamza Igamane Linked to: Everton
Unlike Dessers, Hamza Igamane shouldn’t be a player that Clement looks to sell during the winter transfer window. The African gem has forced his way into the Belgian’s plans in recent months, particularly shining in Europe for the Light Blues, scoring four goals in the Europa League.
This has attracted attention from Everton, who reportedly sent scouts to watch the player during the European clash against Tottenham Hotspur before Christmas.
The Light Blues paid only £1.7m to sign the youngster from AS FAR during the summer, and this fee is now turning into a bargain, especially considering how good he could become.
There is no doubting that his long-term future lies away from Scotland, but the best course of action for Igamane would be to remain at Rangers for the next few years in order to develop and hone his skills.
Of course, if any offer arrives for the player that is simply too good to turn down, would the Ibrox side be able to reject it given the financial issues at the club?
3 Ridvan Yilmaz Out of favour
During the summer, Brazilian left-back Jefte was brought to the Gers as competition for Ridvan Yilmaz. The Turkish defender suffered an injury early on in the season, which saw Jefte fill in on the left side of defence.
He suitably impressed, showing maturity way beyond his tender years and could be someone who raises a substantial profit for the Light Blues when he inevitably moves on.
Last January, several clubs were keen on signing Yilmaz, including Serie A side Hellas Verona. While there was no doubting his ability, the fact that Yilmaz spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch was a cause for concern.
Besiktas were even showing interest in the defender just a few months ago, and while he has recovered from his latest setback, it could be the ideal time to cash in on the Turk, especially with Jefte able to slot in with ease in his absence.
Much will depend on whether there are any suitable admirers during the winter window, but it is something for Clement to ponder.
4 James Tavernier Turkish clubs previously interested
Following the end of last season, it looked as though James Tavernier’s spell at Rangers was naturally coming to an end.
He was coming off the back of a campaign which saw him register 36 goal contributions in all competitions – a feat among one of his finest at Ibrox.
Fast-forward a few months and the captain has scored just three times all season. He was subject to interest from Besiktas during the summer, while fellow Turkish side Trabzonspor were also keen on signing him, but he remained at the club.
If there is continued interest in his signature during the winter window, Clement should surely be looking to move him on, especially as it represents the final chance to secure a decent fee for the right-back.
5 Rabbi Matondo Could be deemed surplus to requirements
Like Tavernier, Rabbi Matondo was also wanted during the summer window. Just a week before the transfer window closed, English Championship side Blackburn Rovers were showing some interest in luring Matondo down south.
Nothing materialised and he stayed at Ibrox for the first half of the campaign. While he may have scored twice and grabbed three assists, the Welsh winger has been injured since the middle of September, taking weeks to get back to full fitness.
He is in a similar situation to Tavernier in that his contract expires in 18 months, which means he could be heading into the final year of his deal should he remain at the club until the summer.
Clement can call upon Oscar Cortes, Nedim Bajrami and even Igamane as options on the left wing, which means Matondo could be considered surplus to requirements.
Much will depend on whether there is interest in Matondo or not given his recent injury issues. If there is, the Light Blues could look to move him on.
This would raise a decent fee which could be put towards bolstering the squad ahead of the second half of the season, freeing up some of the wage bill in the process.
