Philippe Clement ‘close’ to Saudi Arabia deal in new Rangers manager twist
Rangers-linked manager Philippe Clement is close to reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab to become their new manager, according to Sabq.
The Saudi Arabian news outlet shared via its website and Bara 18 on 11 October that the former Monaco boss is edging closer to an agreement with Al-Shabab to take over the technical leadership of the club.
Apparently, talks are now in their final stages, with the Belgian having potentially arrived in Riyadh to negotiate the deal with club officials, despite being heavily linked with the vacant position at Ibrox.
There are plenty of reports claiming Rangers are currently making a decision between Clement and Kevin Muscat to take over from Michael Beale after the Englishman was sacked, but if the Al-Shabab deal is also on the table, it appears he could be tempted to leave the running.
This suggests Rangers will have to make their decision soon, and if that decision falls to Clement, they will have to persuade him to turn down the offer from the Saudi Arabian club in favour of a move to Glasgow.
A report from the Daily Record [11 October] claimed Clement is “itching” to right the wrongs from his spell at Monaco by taking over at Ibrox and proving he can still be the man for a big job, with his reputation still held highly across Europe.
Separately, a Daily Record report [10 October] shared Clement’s preference is to join Rangers despite the interest from Al-Shabab, and that he is “desperate” to take the reins at Ibrox.
This is certainly one to watch closely.
In other Rangers news, there is a major split in the boardroom at Ibrox as the manager hunt continues.