James Tavernier’s Rangers contract: Kevin Thomson backs Andrew Cavenagh for clever negotiations
James Tavernier may be offered a new Rangers contract on lower pay by Andrew Cavenagh at Ibrox.
Kevin Thomson would like to see the Gers offer the right-back a new deal, but has acknowledged it will depend on his salary.
The Scotland international has backed the American owners to come up with a clever plan to extend the captain’s stay at the Light Blues on lower terms.
For a few seasons now, fans in G51 have wanted to see the Glaswegian outfit find a successor for the English defender, but they’ve failed to do so.
Danny Rohl has kept Tavernier on as captain this season, but it has been clear that the German manager prefers other options at right-back.
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James Tavernier has Dujon Sterling mountain to climb at Rangers
Tavernier has lost his place in the starting lineup in recent weeks to Dujon Sterling.
Rohl has made no secret that the former Chelsea ace is his first-choice right-back at the Gers, leaving questions around the captain’s future.
| Statistics | James Tavernier |
| Appearances | 31 |
| Starts | 23 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Big chances created | 17 |
| Clean sheets | 8 |
| Tackles per game | 1.7 |
| Clearances per game | 2.6 |
| Sucessfull dribbles per game | 0.6 (49%) |
If Sterling hadn’t had his persistent fitness issues at Ibrox, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Tavernier leave a few seasons ago.
While the 34-year-old comes under a lot of scrutiny for his defensive frailties, there’s no denying the full-back’s contribution in the final third for the Govan side.
Speaking on The Breakdown with Charlie Mulgrew on 13 April, Thomson said, “I would [give Tavernier a new deal]. I’m saying I would, but it’s not me who has to pay the money because he’ll be one of the highest earners, I presume. But I know the Americans are quite clever with these new profiling-type deals. When you start to age, you don’t quite earn the same money.”
Danny Rohl has evident summer transfer priority at Ibrox
Even if Tavernier stays at Rangers, Rohl should make signing a new right-back his top priority in the summer.
The veteran defender isn’t reliable in the backline, while Sterling can’t be trusted to play a whole season without injuries.
Max Aarons will return to Bournemouth at the end of the season and hasn’t convinced many fans that he should return to Ibrox for the 2026-27 campaign.
While the short-term focus in G51 is on the title race, the Govan side should be planning for what’s ahead as they look to build a team that can hopefully consistently compete for major honours.
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