Rangers transfer news: Rabbi Matondo reacts to Ibrox exit developments amid Stoke City interest
Rabbi Matondo has no intention of leaving Rangers this summer despite being made available to leave, according to Football Scotland.
The Welsh winger only arrived in Glasgow last year but his move from Schalke has only brought about a scant return after a season wrecked by injury, and Sunday Mirror editor Darren Witcoop reported on Saturday (1 July) that he is “free to leave”, possibly to Stoke where he spent time on loan previously.
With Michael Beale embarking on a full-scale overhaul of the Gers squad this summer the 22-year-old at risk of being left behind, with the club thought to “undoubtedly” be open to offers.
Abdallah Sima was picked up on loan from Brighton last week, and with Cyriel Dessers the next attacking arrival on the cards opportunities could be sparse for Matondo.
But the Rangers man intends to stay, with Football Scotland reporting that he “is determined to scrap for a spot in Beale’s new look Ibrox outfit following his squad overhaul this summer”.
Confidence
Costing £3million from the Bundesliga 12-months ago that money has been mooted as a “costly” write-off for the current transfer window.
Matondo would have hoped to have more of an impact than 28 appearances, often off the bench, across all competitions without any goals, but there were signs of life in his run at the end of the campaign and he did lay on five assists in total.
While Beale and some supporters might prefer to get a financial return for use on incoming deals, he has the potential to be as good as a new signing, as the saying goes, if he is now available regularly.
And if he is as determined to prove himself at Rangers as has been reported then that could lead to him becoming that much more of a better player.
Managers love those who back themselves, as long as they then produce, so if the young winger is ready to do that then Beale is unlikely to see it as a nightmare to keep him around.
Sima’s arrival above all crowds him, but Ryan Kent is gone and used to start virtually every game while Malik Tillman is also no longer in the equation and featured regularly.
So there is plenty of game time up for grabs for whoever can prove to the manager they deserve it, which it sounds like Matondo intends to show is him.
In other Rangers news, hot on the heels of the club closing in on their sixth signing of the summer they appear to have lined up the seventh to quickly follow.