Glasgow Rangers returned to their winning ways over the weekend as the Ibrox side secured their first three points of the Premiership season.
It wasn’t pretty at times for Philippe Clement during the 2-1 win over Motherwell, but a win is a win and at this moment in time, that is all that matters for Rangers.
Clement is slowly beginning to work out his best starting XI. With another couple of weeks left of the summer transfer window, there could well be another few additions to the Gers squad before the end of the month.
With Champions League football at stake, the next few weeks are crucial, potentially determining whether Clement lands his targets or not.
More important, however, is whether the Belgian can move on a few players who appear to have no futures at Ibrox.
The latest on Todd Cantwell's future
Following a 2-1 pre-season defeat to Birmingham City last month, Clement spoke to the media, seemingly about the recent defeat.
Instead, the 50-year-old coach discussed the future of Todd Cantwell, saying: "He came to say that he wants another challenge. I spoke long with him because I think Rangers is a really good club for him.
"I wanted to give him time also, so that's why the last couple of weeks I didn't speak about it. But he came back with the same request.”
These comments were certainly a shock and, considering Cantwell hasn’t been involved in any of the first three matches of the campaign, it looks as though he will be leaving.
The former Norwich City attacking midfielder has played 64 times for the Light Blues since arriving in January 2023, scoring 14 goals and registering 12 assists in the process.
Inconsistency was perhaps his biggest problem last term, floating in and out of matches throughout the season.
Goals
7
Assists
5
Key passes per game
1.7
Big chances created
7
Shots per game
2.3
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
Total duels won per game
4.1
Will Clement aim to sign a replacement this summer? The Gers have been showing interest in a current Manchester United midfielder.
Rangers' potential Cantwell replacement
It was reported by TEAMtalk late last month that the Ibrox side were keen on a move to bring Hannibal Mejbri to Scotland this summer.
The report claims that Rangers have been in contact with Man United over a move for the Tunisian, as an initial loan deal with an option-to-buy clause is being touted.
The Old Trafford side would prefer to cash in on their young talent rather than sanction a loan deal, with the Premier League side looking for a fee of around £7m, which could prove to be a major stumbling block for Clement.
The youngster didn’t exactly have the most productive of seasons during 2023/24, scoring just one goal in 17 games for both United and Sevilla, where he spent the second half of the season out on loan.
Is he really the ideal choice to potentially replace Cantwell as Clement’s main attacking midfielder?
Maybe, just maybe, the Belgian has a player right under his nose who could make a much bigger impact this season should he be given a chance – Ianis Hagi.
Rangers' ready-made Cantwell replacement
The Romanian playmaker has turned out for the B team in order to gain some much-needed minutes as he seeks to move away from Ibrox before the transfer window closes.
In a game against a Derby County youth side over the weekend, Hagi scored a delightful hat-trick, including a stunning free kick, indicating that he could still offer something to Clement in the first team.
Last month, it was claimed by reports in his homeland that Hagi had agreed on a deal to return to his former club Fiorentina, but nothing has materialised on this move as yet.
Unless something miraculous happens, Hagi looks destined to leave Scotland in the next few weeks, but there is no doubting his wonderful talents when fully fit.
Instead of signing a player such as Hannibal – who failed to really showcase his talents last term – Clement must consider bringing Hagi back into the first team fold, even to just give him a chance in his current tactical system.
It could be the most important thing the manager does this summer.
Ianis Hagi’s statistics at Rangers
The Romanian joined Rangers on an initial loan deal in January 2020, going on to make a positive impact in the first team between then and when the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March.
The Ibrox faithful won't forget his sublime two-goal salvo against Braga to turn a 2-0 defeat into a 3-2 victory. This led to Steven Gerrard securing the youngster on a permanent deal that summer for a fee in the region of £4m ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
He didn’t know it at the time, but that season would be Hagi’s nadir at Ibrox. Not only did the club claim a first league title in a decade, but they did it unbeaten.
The Romanian scored seven Premiership goals and recorded 12 assists, a wonderful return as he demonstrated his qualities throughout the campaign.
Gerrard hailed the player as an “absolute dream to work with” during his tenure as manager, but things soon unravelled midway through the following season as he suffered a knee injury during a Scottish Cup tie against Stirling Albion which would sideline him for 12 months.
Michael Beale tried to restore him back into the first team fold but felt a loan move was the best course of action last season, joining La Liga side Alaves for the 2023/24 campaign.
His abilities could give Clement a much-needed boost in that area of the team and would be a cost-effective replacement for Cantwell should the manager persuade him to stay.
It might be too late, but Hagi is a player who, on his day, can terrorise defences up and down the country with ease.
If a move cannot be reached with regard to his exit, Hagi should return to the senior setup sooner rather than later.
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