Barry Ferguson reacts as fresh Rangers exit talk emerges for James Tavernier and Connor Goldson
Barry Ferguson believes the prospect of signing for Al Ettifaq will be hard to turn down for Rangers duo James Tavernier and Connor Goldson.
Writing for the Daily Record (26 April), the former Gers midfielder suggested that they will take up the opportunity if it comes.
This is due to the wages that Saudi Arabia can offer. These can be hard for players to refuse as they look to become financially secure.
Goldson and Tavernier were linked to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq by the Daily Record (24 April) and Ferguson thinks the move is possible.
He said: “I wouldn’t hold it against either of them if they were tempted to make a few quid in the Middle East at this stage in their careers. They’re both in their 30s now and playing football is a short career.
“If an opportunity comes up to make your family financially secure for the rest of their lives, it can be hard to turn down.”
Could James Tavernier leave Rangers?
Tavernier is one star who has epitomised Rangers over the last nine years since his move from Wigan Athletic in 2015.
He has made 454 appearances for the Gers under many managers but his form has stayed consistent across that time.
As a fullback, he has scored 15 or more goals in six seasons which is a crazy record. He has continued this into the current SPFL season under Philippe Clement despite some trying times.
According to FotMob, he has scored 17 goals and registered eight assists across 33 games. He has played every game and been an ever-present once again.
At 32 years old, the Englishman will begin to slow down at some point but he doesn’t like doing so right now. He will be nearly impossible to replace.
His goals and assists are one thing but his leadership as captain would be left for someone else to pick up.
The move to Saudi Arabia makes sense from his financial point of view, from Rangers’ perspective he can’t be let go.
In other Rangers news, a “horrible” player is now left with just a handful of games to save his career at Ibrox amid recent criticism.
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