With Philippe Clement expected to be the kind of manager who can spot a good center-half given that he played the position at the international level, Rangers will look to address the center-half issue in the summer.
Due to Leon Balogun’s advanced age, an extension should only be granted in dire circumstances or on conditions that are advantageous to the club. Ben Davies needs to be near the top of the “for sale” list.
Rangers and Philippe Clement find themselves in a situation where they have to work within a budget to sign quality or risk-free players. However, could one former Ibrox loanee be a viable option in the middle of defence?
Could Rangers consider making an out-of-favour bid? Joe Worrall
Organising the defence was among Steven Gerrard’s first actions as Rangers manager.
Players like David Bates, Nikola Katic, and Russell Martin were gone, and Gareth McAuley, an accomplished campaigner, replaced them.
Although there was an instant improvement, Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall was sought out as reinforcement after negotiations with Millwall’s Jake Cooper broke down.
The rising star from England’s Under-21 team had already attracted Burnley’s £10 million bid before being thrown into the deep end against Villareal, where he excelled.
The issue was that, in addition to being on loan, he had replaced Nikola Katic, a player whose all-action style of play had almost immediately made him a cult hero.
Though things have changed since then, Worrall’s fate with the fans was all but sealed after a crucial error against Kilarmarnock.
Before joining Rangers-linked Scott McKenna as captain of Forest, he guided his team to the Premier League during a season in which they were never in danger of losing.
But as usual, managers made substitutions and added new players, so a winning combination was broken up.
When it became apparent that they had both been instructed not to train with the first team, something had obviously happened behind the scenes. Joe Worrall has finished his loan transfer from Nottingham Forest to Besiktas.
At the conclusion of the season, the Turkish team has the option to extend the agreement. 🌹🌷 screenshot.twitter.com/9Ah2Qbw2l4
— February 5, 2024, Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano)
Check Out This Tweet
Worrall reluctantly joined Besiktas, while McKenna moved to Copenhagen. However, based on Alan Nixon’s comments on Patreon, it doesn’t appear that the £4 million agreed option to buy will be exercised, even though the player has hinted at a return:
“I extended my contract, but with the new manager taking over and the team’s goals, I could not play as much as I would have liked.
“I’ve only played in two games under Nuno, but Forest is well-stocked with excellent players and a tonne of talent.
“It’s all about playing games and then we’ll see for me because it’s all about getting match fit and me sitting there is doing nobody any favours.”
It appears as though he is waiting for a new manager once more, but at 27, it is obvious that he wants to be playing frequently and at a respectable level.
Even though £4 million isn’t much these days, if I were Philippe Clement, I might be inclined to call Ross Wilson and inquire about the same amount for Rangers.
Worrall is a good player despite his error at Kilmarnock.
In addition to being strong in the air and self-assured when in control, his tenure as Forest’s skipper has given him leadership qualities.
Stated differently, would you accept the trade-off of Ben Davies for Worrall if it required no actual cash outlay?
I’m sure I would.
GET MORE NEWS HERE