Rangers transfer news: Ben Davies expected to leave Ibrox, English clubs to be ‘keen’ on deal
Rangers will be looking to sell Ben Davies for cash in the summer with a number of English sides likely to be “keen” on signing him, according to Derek Clark.
The journalist said on the Rangers Review Morning Briefing (20 March) that the fourth-choice centre-back is in line to leave Ibrox at the end of the season, with Chris Jack admitting it hasn’t worked out in Glasgow for the “forgotten man”.
Former Liverpool man Davies has fallen behind regular starters John Souttar and Connor Goldson under Philippe Clement, as well as Leon Balogun and has played just 12 times all season.
Clark said (9m 40s): “I would assume that he’ll be one of the players that Rangers will be looking to move on in the summer time, and they’ll be, I’d imagine, hoping to bring in a bit of cash for him as well.
“There’s a host of English clubs down south that I’m sure would be keen on taking Davies in the summer time.”
Jack added: “He’s almost become something of a forgotten man… I think that probably speaks to how well overall the Goldson and Souttar partnership have done…
“Ben Davies clearly falls into that category of someone who will be dispensable. He’s not going to command a huge transfer fee. Could you get back the three-odd-million that you paid for him? Potentially to the right buyer, to a Championship club who [might] see the value in him.
“There’s every chance that Rangers would have to take a loss. They certainly won’t be making any money on him but I don’t think they’d lose a huge chunk of it. Then they could say to Clement and Nils Koppen, ‘You’ve got that money, go and reinvest it in someone who’s more suited to your style’…
“Davies, it’s just not worked out. I don’t think he’s ever really convinced.”
Ex-Liverpool defender set to exit Rangers back to England?
If there is any club willing to put anything close to the £4m the Gers reportedly paid Liverpool [Sky Sports] two summers ago then they will clearly jump at it.
Even half of that would be a relatively decent return at this stage after two years where he has moved backwards in terms of his prominence at Ibrox.
That is clearly a danger when a club cycles through managers with regularity, but even when the Englishman was preferred to Souttar his form was inconsistent.
Despite the hugely improved fortunes under Clement this is a squad that remains very much a work in progress so, as with elsewhere in the team, centre-back looks likely to see some turnover.
Souttar’s injury record would make it a risk to rely on him despite his much-improved form, while Goldson’s own standing has fallen this term, and Balogun will turn 36 in June.
So Rangers will likely need to add more than one new option to the centre-back group and if they can help fund that with eight-figures brought in for Davies to go and get a game elsewhere it would be beneficial all round.
He reportedly didn’t want to leave in January, which blocked a move for Souttar’s brother Harry, but after just four SPFL appearances so far this late in the campaign the 28-year-old’s stance could have shifted.
In other Rangers news, one senior member of the first team has already agreed to leave the club at the end of the season.
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