Filip Helander set to depart Rangers without playing another game
Rangers defender Filip Helander will depart Ibrox at the end of his contract without playing another game, according to journalist Jonny McFarlane.
The 29-year-old senior defender has been plagued with injury problems since 2021, hasn’t actually featured for the Ibrox side since last season and has been previously linked [Aftonbladet, 10 January] with leaving Glasgow upon the expiry of his deal.
Thus far, there has been no official word from the club over an extension and his future continues to remain up in the air.
Sharing an update on the 29-year-old in a Q&A for Rangers Review [10 April], reporter McFarlane claims Helander seems certain to leave without playing another game for the Gers.
He said: “Fil Helander is on the books but it now seems certain he will depart without playing another game. A March return had previously been mooted but that’s come and gone.
“It’s an extremely sad situation because the big Swede is a brilliant defender and although he was limited with the ball at his feet, could always be relied upon when the going got tough. Someone of similar stature who relishes the art of defending would be ideal.”
Inevitable
About to leave as a free agent, Helander will be able to have his pick of sides to join next – but the issue is who could be willing to take a gamble on the injury-ridden ace.
With the Gers set to undergo arguably their biggest rebuild in years, considering they have fallen well behind Celtic in terms of recruitment and in the Scottish Premiership, Michael Beale can no longer afford his squad to be bloated by injury-prone and needless stars on their books.
Helander is indeed a brilliant defender on his day, and his stats from his last full season playing regularly certainly showed as much where he ranked in the Gers’ top three for tackles made, successful blocks and clearances per 90, according to WhoScored.
However, his injury record has proven incredibly frustrating at Ibrox and with his contract coming to an end, a summer departure seems absolutely inevitable. Rangers will need to start scouring the market for quality replacements ahead of a massive summer in-store.
In other Rangers news, Martin Keown blasted the mismanagement of a “breathtaking” scale after what a “rotten” player did at Celtic.