Rangers confusion as strange James Tavernier exit allowed amid massive upgrade cost
Rangers selling captain James Tavernier doesn’t make sense because he has proven he has the right quality for the club, says Tam McManus.
The former Hibs striker said on The Football Show by PLZ Soccer on 29 July that he thinks the Ibrox defender will go, after highlighting a number of “big earners” that are already “out the door” including Ryan Jack, Connor Goldson, Borna Barisic and John Lundstram.
He accepted it is necessary to have a clear out but doesn’t understand why the 32-year-old right-back would be allowed to leave with that group when it would be so expensive to properly upgrade on him.
McManus said (20m 25s): “Tavernier’s a strange one for me. A lot of Rangers supporters want him out the door.
“For me, he’s the one out of the five or six I mentioned that I would keep, simply because I think quality-wise he’s got it, domestically he’s got it.
“Okay he struggles a little bit in Europe but to get a right-back that can defend in Europe you’re talking £10million, £20million.”
Dujon Sterling set to replace Rangers captain if exit completed
Defensively it isn’t only in Europe that Tavernier has struggled at times but it is fair to say that he has regularly contributed more than most other players who have come in for criticism.
However, there is a view that a changing of the guard is required to properly enter a new era under Philippe Clement and cashing in on the full-back while there is a decent market now would be the right time.
It can’t be denied that whenever he does go the Light Blues will be required to make up his outstanding amount in goals and assists from elsewhere as it is unlikely that most replacements at right-back would have the same offensive impact.
Dujon Sterling has proven to be an outstanding asset after arriving on a free transfer and is set to take over if the Rangers captain leaves [Rangers Review, 17 June].
But even if his defensive capabilities are able to disprove McManus’ £20m claim one thing the former Chelsea man doesn’t offer in great quantities is goals.
So losing Tavernier would undoubtedly require a transition and there are decent arguments for and against, but after his presumed exit to Trabzonspor seemingly became imminent [Rangers Review, 23 July] there has been no further breakthrough as yet.
Besiktas were thought to be coming in with a possible hijack [Takvim, 20 July] so that may have complicated matters, unless the situation going quiet means the Englishman does stay for another year.
In other Rangers news, another player not have turned down the chance to move to Ibrox after all as a transfer mystery develops.
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