Rabbi Matondo Rangers exit on the cards, risk of £3million transfer write-off amid ‘costly mistake’ verdict
Rabbi Matondo has proven to be a “costly mistake” at Rangers and is in line to leave the club after one season, in the view of journalist Chris Jack.
The winger has had injury problems since his £3million arrival from Schalke last summer, just as virtually the entire summer haul has, and despite some lively recent performances it may not have been enough to save his Ibrox career.
Michael Beale will make serious changes to his playing squad in the upcoming window after the club were left to finish the campaign empty handed by another defeat to Celtic on Sunday (30 April) in the Scottish Cup, and the Welsh international faces the exit door amid hopes that his fee won’t be a write-off already.
In his article for the Glasgow Times Jack wrote: “The signing of Matondo has proven to be a costly mistake for Rangers and it is hard to see how he makes an impact next term despite a couple of showings off the bench of late.
“The winger seems ill-suited to Rangers’ style and Scottish football and hasn’t impressed either side of a long period out of action.
“Once an £11million purchase for Schalke 04, Matondo signed a four-year contract at Ibrox last summer.
“The Wales internationalist is only 22 and Rangers will hope that his profile should helps them avoid having to completely write off the £3million fee that was paid last summer.”
Shame
Matondo is the kind of livewire who could be a real asset to the Light Blues if he was fit and firing regularly, but he has struggled to make a real impact this term.
Still only 22 he has played for four teams in as many seasons, and if Beale doesn’t see a future for him at Ibrox that could be five in five come the start of the new campaign.
A reasonable start to the season under Giovanni van Bronckhorst soon gave way to being in and out of the side as fortunes suffered more widely at the club.
Then after being ruled out for the majority of 2023 so far with injury he has never truly got going for Rangers, and if he is in the shop window Beale is going to need to use him in the final weeks to avoid his value decreasing.
Ross Wilson may be gone now but the squad he leaves behind is in danger of being completely gutted after a bad season, and much of the work he was supposed to be getting done last summer will need redoing.
The folly of plowing through managers quickly is that the new man often wants his own players, and with Matondo arriving with just a few months of the Van Bronckhorst reign left to run, he like most of his 2022 class of recruits are therefore at risk now the Dutchman is the former manager.
In other Rangers news, a multi-million Gers transfer the opposite way has been blasted as the deal hangs in the balance.