Tam McManus tips four Rangers stars to leave Ibrox this summer as Celtic to ‘Bury Rangers’ verdict shared
Tam McManus believes Rangers have a “massive” rebuilding job on their hands this summer and has tipped four stars to leave Ibrox as part of it.
Celtic all-but claimed a 12th SPFL title in 13 seasons with a 2-1 win over Philippe Clement’s side on Saturday 11 May, which led the manager to admit there will be big changes during the transfer window.
But while appearing on PLZ Soccer (13 May), pundit McManus believes it could start with four players potentially leaving and he claimed that the club may not have the funds to stop their rivals winning another league title next season.
“I still think there is a significant gap here,” he said. “I get where he’s coming from. Celtic were full strength at the weekend, I’d say their strongest team. Rangers were quite a bit off of their strongest team so you’ve got to give them that as well.
“But I think that Celtic this season, there’s a lot of improvement to come from that team. I think that Rangers in the summer, Lundstram is away, Barisic is away, Goldson could possibly be away, the goalkeeper [Jack Butland] could be away.
“Rangers have got a massive rebuilding job and I don’t know if they’ve got the money to go up against Celtic again next season.
“I’m reading on social media already from Celtic fans that they’ve got all this money and ‘we can bury Rangers’. Celtic aren’t going to go and spend £20-30m, they’re not going to do it.
“Even though they’ve got that money in the bank, it’s a case of have Rangers got the money to try and get closer to Celtic. Celtic will sign two or three quality players in my opinion, I don’t think they’ll go nuts on transfer fees.
“If Rangers have got the money, and have the financial backing to go and sign five, six, seven quality players to get closer to Celtic, because if they don’t do that then Celtic win the league again next season.”
Change is welcome for Rangers at Ibrox
There aren’t many Rangers fans who would be disappointed if there were wholesale changes at the club during the summer transfer window.
Several players are expected to leave and Clement himself has made it clear there will be changes with the squad, but it’s important that the right players are allowed to leave and adequately replaced.
Someone like Butland should be kept by any means necessary because he is the level of player needed to take the team back to the top of the domestic game.
But players like Lundstram, Barisic and Goldson, among others, aren’t the standard anymore and their exit would be welcomed by many fans.
This is the type of ruthless approach that is needed to get the club back where it belongs, and they must act to ensure Celtic don’t have the chance to “bury Rangers”.
In other Rangers news, Four Lads “felt for” one Ibrox star after what he said in the last 24 hours.
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