Rangers battling to land “dynamic” £3.5k-p/w star

Glasgow Rangers secured a top-eight finish in the Europa League group stage, which ensures they qualify for the last-16 without having to play two playoff ties.

It was a good performance by Philippe Clement’s men, with Cyriel Dessers and Vaclav Cerny impressing notably at Ibrox on Thursday evening during the 2-1 win over USG.

Thoughts will now turn to the weekend as Ross County travel to Glasgow for the Premiership clash between the two clubs. While Clement will be aiming for three points, one eye will be on signing another player or two before the window closes on Monday.

Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo have both departed on loan moves, freeing up some space in the first-team squad for a new signing. Plenty of names have been linked in the previous few weeks, but the Belgian will only bring someone in if they can make a valuable contribution.

The latest transfer news has seen the Light Blues linked with someone who they wanted to bring to Glasgow last summer, but no move materialised.

Will it be a case of second-time lucky?

Rangers transfer news

As reported by DaveOCKOP, Rangers are showing interest in Bobby Clark, who currently plays for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

The youngster made the move to the continent from Liverpool last summer for a fee in the region of £6m, yet it hasn’t quite worked out as expected, especially following the arrival of new coach Thomas Letsch.

Any move would be a temporary one, with Clark joining the Light Blues for the rest of the season, but the club have competition. indeed, Swansea City, Derby County and Hull City are all keen on the 19-year-old, but it remains to be seen whether Salzburg will sanction a loan move.

While developing a player for another club isn’t exactly what Clement will be looking for, it is clear Clark could add some dynamism to the midfield.

He has even been compared to a former Gers midfield icon, who shone for the club during a three-year spell in the 1990s – Paul Gascoigne.

Why Bobby Clark could have shades of Paul Gascoigne

The former Liverpool youngster – who reportedly earns £3.5k-per-week in Austria – started his career in the northeast with Newcastle United, similar to Gascoigne.

Gazza entered senior football by making his mark at the Magpies, before moving to Tottenham Hotspur, where his career took off.

The former England international arguably enjoyed his most consistent spell at Ibrox, however, helping the Gers win two domestic titles, while also securing a Scottish Cup and League Cup winners’ medals.

Overall, he scored 39 goals in 101 appearances, leaving his mark on the Scottish game with his superb displays.

As for Clark, Newcastle reporter Lee Ryder lavished praise on him when discussing the youngster in the past, tipping him to follow in the footsteps of the great ‘Gazza’:

“You have always go to be very careful with comparisons but for me – and I don’t talk about this lightly – but at the same sort of age, you had a young Paul Gascoigne at Newcastle.

“It was before the days of nutrition, dietitians and all of that, so Gascoigne was carrying a lot more weight than Bobby, but the reality is that sort of raw skill reminds me a little bit of Gazza at the same age.”

Not even out of his teens yet, Clark has the potential to carve out an excellent career in senior football. Will a move to Ibrox give him the best platform to shine on, however?

Bobby Clark’s career statistics

The teenager was dubbed as “dynamic” by journalist Mark Guidi last summer and his underwhelming spell in Austria shouldn’t deter from just how good he can become.

The Englishman made his debut for Liverpool during the 2022/23 campaign, with Jürgen Klopp easing him into senior football, clearly not wanting to place too much pressure on someone who could go far if managed correctly.

More game time came last term. Indeed, Clark made 12 appearances across all competitions for the Anfield side, scoring once and registering two assists.

It was in the Europa League that Clark showcased his talent. Across two matches in the competition, not only did he create one big chance and average one key pass per game, but the midfielder also succeeded with 100% of his dribbles while managing to register a shot on target each match.

These performances proved that he could sparkle on the big stage, indicating that he might have a positive future in Merseyside. Klopp departed following the end of the season, which saw Arne Slot take charge. Clark, therefore, wanted to have a fresh start and thus joined Salzburg, who were managed by former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders.

Throughout 2024/25, Clark has made 20 appearances for the Austrian side, registering three goal contributions in the process.

He has started only 11 of these fixtures, however, yet the youngster has still shown plenty of potential.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues and the Champions League over the previous 365 days, Clark currently ranks in the top 8% for touches in the opposition penalty area (3.03), the top 16% for assists (0.18) and in the top 6% for progressive passes received (5.17).

Solid numbers, especially considering it looked like he was struggling to make his mark for the club. Perhaps a fresh start could benefit him.

Clement has Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin and Connor Barron as options in the heart of the midfield. Add in young talent Bailey Rice, and it is certainly a position where the manager has plenty of depth.

Clark would be a risk-free signing, that’s a certainty, but would he get in ahead of some of the names mentioned?

That remains to be seen, yet bringing him to Ibrox could give the team that added boost of having another player ready to make an impression in the starting XI over the final months of the season.