Rangers warned multi-million pound windfall at risk as senior ace could eye Ibrox exit in 2023
Mixu Paatelainen believes Glen Kamara will look to leave Rangers in January or the summer if he doesn’t play regularly under Michael Beale.
The Finland international midfielder has been a regular at Ibrox over the years since joining from Dundee United in 2019, but had found himself on the sideline most recently under Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s management.
But while speaking to the Daily Record (6 December) Paatelainen, who gave Kamara his first international cap, believes if that doesn’t change under the new manager then he will look to leave in 2023 and that could cost Rangers a major windfall.
“Rangers signed Glen for a bargain and would have hoped to sell him on for a big profit,” he said. “But if he’s not playing they won’t be able to reach the kind of sums that was once talked about for him.
“That’s always the case. You can only get a good transfer fee if he plays regularly. We’ll see how things go but I don’t think Glen is desperate to leave Rangers right now.
“However, he will consider leaving if he’s not getting the minutes he wants. Everything changed when Steven Gerrard left. Gio did use him a lot in the Europa League last season and he played really well.
“We don’t have a crystal ball so we can’t yet say how it’s going to work out for him under the new manager but I do know how determined Glen is.
“He’s desperate to play and desperate to play for Rangers. I don’t think he wants to leave right now but if he thinks he’s not going to play much then I’m sure he’ll have to look at other options in January or the summer.”
Earn it
For too long at Rangers there have been players in and around the squad who just expect to be in the team because of past achievements or past form, but that must end.
With a new manager in charge, there should be a clean slate for everyone, including the players that the manager knows from his previous tenure as assistant, and everyone should be earning their shirt.
Kamara is a top player and at his best he should probably find himself in the starting lineup more regularly, but if he isn’t performing then Rangers can’t wait around for him to rediscover that form and have to look for alternatives.
It’s up to him to put in good performances, train well and show his quality to get in the side. If he isn’t playing then yes his value will drop, but so will his importance to the team and the need to have him around at Ibrox.
It’s a double-edged sword, because if he plays and becomes important it’s more likely a rich club from down south will come along and take him, but that’s the name of the game.
Our best players should be playing, but only if they earn their place in the side first.
In other Rangers news, Barry Ferguson wants new signings for the starting XI at Ibrox in January