According to reports, a prominent player for the Rangers is planning to leave the team in the summer, thinking he can play better than in the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers are aiming for a Scottish crown
Although Philippe Clement and his team haven’t exactly had a banner season, they are still on track to win the Scottish Premiership as long as they don’t make any grave mistakes. They currently have a slim advantage over Celtic, their fiercest rivals, and they visit the Bhoys at Ibrox next month.
The owners of the team might be considering a risky transfer window.
If they win the match, they would have a good chance of winning just their second Scottish Premiership since 2012.
It’s not all good news, though, as a Rafa Silva goal on Thursday guaranteed the Gers’ elimination from the Europa League at the round of 16. They managed to hold Benfica to a 2-2 draw in Lisbon, but ultimately lost 1-0 at home, meaning that their season in Europe was over.
Even worse, there might be discontent within the team, as one player is allegedly eager to leave. The player in question is none other than goalkeeper Jack Butland, an ex-Crystal Palace player who was brought in fresh for several seasons at Ibrox after seeing inconsistent playing time. Backed by Clement, Butland has made 29 league appearances for Rangers, keeping 17 clean sheets while ensuring that his team has the best defense in the division.
| Jack Butland in the SPL 2023/24 | |
| Appearances | 29 |
| Goals conceded | 16 |
| Save % | 80% |
| Clean sheets | 17 |
| Shots on target faced | 70 |
Although ‘delighted’ with his decision to join Rangers, Pete O’Rourke, the transfer correspondent for Football Insider, reports that the goalkeeper is ‘plotting’ an escape to the Premier League this summer. This is because he is ‘ready to show himself again in England’ and, at just 31, ‘feels that he is still at an age where he can dazzle in the Premier League’.
Though Butland was rumored to be part of Gareth Southgate’s England team for the forthcoming international friendlies against Scotland and Brazil, the Three Lions manager finally chose Sam Johnstone over the highly effective Rangers player.
His ambition to rejoin the English premier league may also have this element; Football Insider notes that ‘he feels that a transfer back to the Premier League could boost his prospects of a Three Lions call-up’. Before Rangers’ Europa League loss, TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist attacked the selection, saying he was “amazed” that Southgate had forgotten about Butland.
“I’m not in a position to tell Gareth his job, but I’m about to now,” he stated. “That he is not on the England team astounds me greatly.
“Jack Butland has been performing frequently up here. And has been playing really well, in my opinion. I must admit that Jack’s exclusion from the squad for the upcoming two games surprises and disappoints me greatly.
Rangers would suffer a great deal if they lost their indisputable number one, especially following such a successful season. They would, however, stand to benefit greatly, and any transfer would probably incur a substantial transfer charge.
Even though they lost on the field, there would still be a handsome profit because they signed him a year ago on a free transfer.
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Jonathan Jonathan