Rangers exodus: Four Ibrox stars set for January exits, one arrives at new club
Rangers are carrying out a mass squad cull during the transfer window with Rabbi Matondo on his way out and another three players potentially to follow, according to the Daily Record.
The report from the Scottish news outlet (22 January) has detailed that Matondo is now in England finalising a transfer to Coventry City, having slipped down the pecking order under Philippe Clement.
Welsh international Matondo is set to make the move to Frank Lampard’s Championship side on a loan-to-buy deal (David Edgar, 22 January) having scored two goals and claimed two assists in 2024-25.
It is also claimed Kieran Dowell, Cyriel Dessers and Adam Devine also see their immediate futures at Ibrox in doubt, with the trio all possibly departing within the next fortnight.
Matondo and the three for-sale players have just 15 Scottish Premiership starts between them so far this season – 11 of which have come from the often-maligned Dessers – as Clement looks to free up both squad space and funds.
Rangers trimming squad as transfer targets identified
Rangers were always going to look to offload players during the winter window, with several having not even appeared in the league for Clement this season.
Devine is one of those, with Matondo and Dowell only starting two league matches apiece. The manager knows he cannot have any ‘lame ducks’, so to speak.
It’s a ruthless business – especially concerning the likes of Dessers, who has contributed excellently in part for Rangers during his tenure but is now 30, out of favour and targeted by established clubs in Europe.
Nils Koppen is currently working around the clock to help supply Clement with the adequate reinforcements to enjoy a far stronger second half of the campaign, as Rafael Fernandes becomes the first winter arrival from Lille.
For now, the Belgian’s focus will be solely on a solid Europa League performance at Old Trafford, against an out-of-sorts Manchester United side under a new world of supporter pressure (23 January).
In other Rangers news, Ruben Amorim identifies what he is most wary of from the Gers on Thursday.
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