Barry Ferguson identifies Rangers ‘problem’ in Philippe Clement’s January transfer plan
Barry Ferguson has suggested that Philippe Clement will face a problem at Rangers if he attempts to sell some of the new signings in the January transfer window.
The Light Blues have started excellently under the management of the Belgian and remain unbeaten since he arrived at Ibrox, but with the January transfer window on the horizon, there is an expectation that Clement will want to add to his squad.
However, having spent heavily in the summer, Rangers will have to attempt to sell some of their bigger names if they want to buy players when the window opens and Ferguson believes Clement may find it hard to convince the likes of Cyriel Dessers to move on.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (29 November, 43:30) he said: “He’ll need to shift a couple of players in the forward areas because they’ve got a lot of similar players in certain areas and that’s something that he clearly thinks he needs to change.
“The problem you’ve got is that they’re on three or four years contracts on high salaries and when you give a player that, he’s got every right to say no I don’t want to move, I want to stay. The players are going to be in control.”
Made their own problems
This is a problem that Rangers have made for themselves with their heavy spending over the course of the January transfer window as they have given players who are nowhere near good enough for Clement’s squad lengthy and expensive contracts in Glasgow.
The likes of Sam Lammers and Dessers are unlikely to depart after less than six months in Scotland when they have agreed to financially excellent deals for the next few years of their career and Rangers will not be able to force them out without their compliance.
That then means that Clement will continue to have to use these players who are clearly not up to Rangers’ standard for the foreseeable future as they look to see out the contracts afforded to them during Michael Beale’s tenure in charge.
Player power has become an immense issue in the modern game, but it is hard to view this as anything other than Rangers making a rod for their own back. Clement has spent much of his time since arriving in Glasgow attempting to undo Beale’s mistakes and it appears as though the January transfer window will be no different.
In other Rangers news, Peter Grant has described Tom Lawrence as a new signing for Clement at Ibrox