Kris Boyd makes Rangers transfer plea as new Tavernier claim made
Rangers captain James Tavernier has come under fire this season amid the Light Blues’ poor campaign.
The Gers sit 13 points behind freshly crowned Scottish Premiership champions and bitter rivals Celtic ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm Derby at Ibrox.
Barry Ferguson’s men were also knocked out of the Europa League on 17 April courtesy of a 2-0 aggregate defeat to Athletic Bilbao.
While the Ibrox outfit have endured a poor campaign, Tavernier has faced calls to leave Rangers in the summer transfer window.
Boyd outlines how Rangers can close gap on Celtic
The Gers are still looking for a new manager as 49ers Enterprises continue to close in on their proposed takeover deal.
The next Rangers boss will be focussed on how to close the current gap between the Ibrox giants and their rivals Celtic.
| Scottish Premiership table (Top Two) | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 Celtic (C) | 34 | 80 | 84 |
| 2 Rangers | 34 | 33 | 67 |
Kris Boyd told Mail Online (28 April) that the Light Blues need to have a huge rebuild this summer.
“Rangers need to get, I would say, at least six or seven first-team starters that are going to come in and make a difference,” he said.
“These players need to change the mindset within Rangers in terms of thinking that you’re just going to turn up and win games of football. You need to earn the right to win games of football and right now that’s not the case at Ibrox.”
Boyd also outlined that Tavernier is not solely to blame for his former club’s struggles, adding: “Everybody goes on about the captain as such and what he does.
“But if you look at any successful team, yes, there’s the captain with the armband, but he also has another seven or eight leaders around him.”
Rangers should retain Tavernier
Boyd has rightly outlined that Rangers must undergo a major rebuild in the summer transfer window and add plenty of new players to their squad.
To facilitate several exits, the Ibrox club must also sanction the exits of members of their current squad, who have failed to perform at the levels expected of them under both former boss Philippe Clement and interim Ferguson.
But captain Tavernier is a player who the Light Blues should look to retain, as he has notched five goals and 12 assists in 49 outings across all competitions this term.
The 33-year-old is not hitting the same sights as last term, when he scored 24 goals and created 12 assists in all competitions.
However, over the years Tavernier has provided the Ibrox giants with exemplary service and deserves to stay in Glasgow while his club enter a new era under a new manager next term and with the 49ers at the ownership helm.