Scott Arfield latest setback yet another sign that his Rangers career is finished
It’s been a season of change at Rangers there can be no denying that – and this summer could well lead to yet more overhaul at Ibrox.
There are a number of older players coming to the end of their current deals and Michael Beale could well look to rejuvenate his squad once again.
One player in particular who faces an uncertain future is 34-year-old Scott Arfield. The former Burnley midfielder has found minutes hard to come by under the former Queen’s Park Rangers boss. His two-goal heroics against Aberdeen feels like a long time ago, and his latest setback could well prove to be fatal to his Light Blues’ career.
Arfield was absent from the Gers’ 3-0 Scottish Premiership win over Livingston and Beale has since revealed (The Guardian, 18 February) that he is touch and go for next weekend’s cup final against Celtic. Whether Arfield would’ve featured is another question, but the 34-year-old’s latest absence won’t be doing his chances of earning a new contract any favours.
Nicolas Raskin, John Lundstram, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Todd Cantwell are all ahead of the Canadian in the pecking order and if he has sustained another setback, it’s hard to envisage Beale offering him a new deal.
He’s been an excellent servant for the Gers over a number of years but a refresh is certainly required, particularly with the relentless run of form Celtic have produced. If Rangers realistically want to close the gap on their fierce rivals then they must develop and move forward at the same pace.
Bringing in younger players such as Raskin is the route the club need to be heading down and the Belgium under-21 international has looked like an excellent addition in the early stages of his career at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, an official club partner reacted to the fans’ criticism of the manager in the stands at Livingston.