Rangers must now cash in on £39k-p/w Ibrox duo

Glasgow Rangers made it back-to-back wins in the Premiership for the first time since early December following their 3-0 victory over Aberdeen on Wednesday, but these are merely papering over the cracks at Ibrox.

The title race is all but over, barring a miracle of epic proportions, meaning the Scottish Cup is the final chance for the Gers to win silverware this season.

Philippe Clement is aiming to strengthen his squad during the current January transfer window, but with just over two weeks left, no new arrivals have walked through the doors.

The main area which needs to be bolstered is the defence and if there are to be a few signings before the window closes, defenders will take priority over other areas of the first-team squad.

Due to the financial issues at the club, it is evident that Clement won’t have a massive budget to work with, which means several players will need to be sold for him to raise significant funds to make improvements.

One name that has been rumoured to be attracting interest is Cyriel Dessers. Considering he has now dropped down the pecking order due to the form of Hamza Igamane and the resurgence of Danilo, now is the perfect time to cash in.

Why Cyriel Dessers could be sold by Rangers

The striker has scored 13 goals and grabbed four assists for the Light Blues in all competitions this term, but only five of these have come since the start of November.

Igamane has become Clement’s main striker and is relishing the opportunity of leading the line recently, rendering Dessers almost obsolete.

The Nigerian centre-forward has never been a crowd-pleaser, missing far too many chances in the final third to ever endear himself to the supporters.

According to Football Insider, Dessers could well be a player that is sold by the club this month, especially considering there is interest being shown in him.

Serie A side Cagliari have shown interest as of late. So to have La Liga club Leganes and if an offer comes in, Clement should seriously consider accepting.

The 30-year-old cost the Ibrox side £4.5m in the summer of 2023, as Michael Beale wanted him to lead to line following the departures of Antonio Colak, Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala.

Normally, a return of 22 goals during a maiden season in a new league would be hailed as a wonderful achievement, but Dessers should have had way more goals.

Indeed, he missed a staggering 27 big chances in the top flight alone, regularly missing two to three chances before getting on the scoresheet.

While recouping the £4.5m fee that was paid to sign him seems unlikely, Clement does hold the upper hand, as Dessers still has two and a half years left on his current deal.

Earning £27k-per-week at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord frontman is the second-highest earner at the club, which is also a good reason to sell this month.

If Dessers does move on, he won’t be the only one departing Glasgow, as Clement has told two other first-team players that they are free to look for other clubs this month…

Rangers could now sell £39k-per-week duo

While the majority of the supporters are waiting on the club making their first signing of the January window, Clement has offered an update on who could leave Glasgow over the next few weeks.

Chris Jack of the Rangers Review reported that Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell will now be allowed to leave the Gers this month as the manager looks to clear out some fringe members of his squad.

Matondo has been at Ibrox since 2022, while Dowell joined a year later, but the pair have failed to demonstrate their true talents during their spell in Scotland.

There is no mention of the fees Clement will be seeking for either player, but considering both have just 18 months remaining on their current Ibrox deals, this is the last real chance for the club to properly cash in on them.

Matondo earns £23k-per-week, while Dowell is taking home £16k-per-week, and it is clear this money could be spent more wisely, that’s for sure.

Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell’s stats at Rangers

Matondo has delivered a few big moments for the club since joining. His first goal against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers in 2023 was massive, while his last-minute effort against Celtic will go down as one of the finest goals scored at Ibrox in recent years.

Aside from those, however, the winger didn’t offer the consistency needed to become the first-choice option on the left flank at the club. Across 67 appearances, he scored eight goals and registered 12 assists, a goal involvement once every 3.4 matches.

Add to this the fact he missed 56 games due to injury. It makes sense to sell him now. Dowell, meanwhile, didn’t cost a penny, but he hasn’t been offered many opportunities to demonstrate his ability.

When he has played, Dowell hasn’t impressed. In the top flight last season, the 27-year-old created one big chance averaged 0.7 key passes and scored just two goals across 12 games.

His contribution has been even poorer this season, starting only three matches since the start of 2024/25, registering zero goal involvements.

Both Matondo and Dowell have been draining the club of money lately, while taking up places in the squad that could have gone to younger players looking to make an impression.

With the news that the pair will be allowed to depart this month, Clement can focus on using the money saved on building for next season. If the Light Blues can recoup a decent fee for the duo, then it will be a major bonus for the Belgian.

He shouldn’t hold his breath.