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Rangers: Ridvan Yilmaz and Jose Cifuentes could save Philippe Clement as January window looms
Ridvan Yilmaz and Jose Cifuentes are the best hope Rangers have of raising funds for Philippe Clement in the January transfer window, according to Stevie Clifford.
Gers chairman John Bennett suggested upon the release of the club’s annual accounts last week that a change in approach is needed with regards to transfer activity.
After a big outlay in the summer under Michael Beale to freshen up the squad, Clement is likely to pay the price with limited funds available in the new year.
Money could be brought in through the sale of certain players, but Four Lads Had A Dream contributor Clifford believes there are only one or two players who could be sold at a profit.
Discussing the club’s biggest assets on The Rangers Review podcast [21 November, 10m 17s], Clifford said: “[Cyriel] Dessers is trying but is ultimately still miles away from where he’s got to be.
“As harsh as that is, I’m just being honest with what my eyes are telling me and what I’m seeing. So I think nobody will buy Dessers or [Sam] Lammers.
“I’d be surprised if clubs in Holland and Italy, where they’ve done alright, want to buy them – they certainly won’t be willing to pay what we paid. So that’s where we may have to take a bit of a hit.
“But you look elsewhere at where we could raise money in this squad, and I can genuinely see Rangers being willing to trade Yilmaz, someone worth probably three-or-four-million pounds.
“We have to be realistic in that if we want to spend money in January, people are going to have to go out first if others come in. Even Cifuentes, if there’s buyers for him.
Case-by-case basis
The good news for Rangers is that Clement has so far managed to get the most out of players who had previously underperformed under Beale.
In an ideal world, the Belgian will keep the Gers competitive with the squad he has available to him until the end of the campaign.
At that point, Rangers will be better positioned to re-evaluate and decide who they definitely want to keep, and who could potentially be sold.
If Clement is particularly eager to bring in a signing in the region of a few million in January, though, then a player will have to be sold swiftly.
Looking at the squad, Yilmaz – a rumoured target for teams in his Turkish homeland – seems as good a shout as anyone.
There is also goalkeeper Jack Butland, but the Light Blues will see no reason to cash in on their best summer purchase when they would have to sign a replacement.
Ultimately, it will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Should any offers come in for players in January, the club can then decide if they wish to stick or twist.
In other Rangers news, a journalist says the Gers are now facing a tough January decision after a “telling” statement.