Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has gone about his transfer business fairly well so far this summer, managing to lower the average age of the first-team squad at Ibrox rather considerably.
At the end of last season, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, John Lundstram and Jon McLaughlin all departed Rangers once their contracts expired. The quintet had an average age of 32, and it was clear that allowing them to leave would free up space in the wage budget for future incomings.
Since then, Clement has signed seven players, with all but one – Liam Kelly – under the age of 23, showing how important he is placing his trust in young talent ahead of the current campaign.
The likes of Hamza Igamane, Clinton Nsiala and Jefte all look to have bright futures in the game if they can continue their development under the tutelage of the Belgian manager.
It is the signing of Connor Barron which could prove to be one of the most impressive deals that the Light Blues will conduct this summer, especially as his profile fits Rangers perfectly.
What Barron could offer Rangers next season
The former Aberdeen midfielder had been linked with a move to the Ibrox side as far back as January this year, although Clement would surely have been keeping an eye on the player’s contract situation after a few weeks in the hot seat.
With the rumour mill circling once the 2023/24 season finished, it looked as though the Gers were going to miss out on Barron, as Swansea City were showing interest, along with a few Serie A sides.
After weeks of speculation, Clement finally announced the signing of the Scottish midfielder in what was arguably the most obvious piece of transfer business the club could do this summer, with the majority of the Ibrox faithful clearly wondering when a deal would happen.
The 21-year-old made his Premiership debut for the Dons during the 2021/22 season, but it wasn’t until last term that he became a regular member of the starting XI.
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Conference League
Accurate passes
27.6
18.8
Key passes
0.8
1.2
Total duels won
3.7
3.5
Accurate long balls
2.3
2.5
Possession lost
11.7
10.5
Tackles
1.8
2.2
Across all competitions, Barron made 42 appearances for Aberdeen, scoring once and registering three assists from the heart of the midfield.
Among his teammates, the Scot ranked third for accurate passes per game (27.6) in the Premiership, along with ranking fourth for key passes per match (0.8) and for tackles per game (1.8), showcasing his talents across a range of metrics.
There was no doubt he was destined for better things and the Light Blues have secured a wonderful bargain, as Barron will likely make them a substantial profit in the near future.
At the time of writing, his current market valuation according to Transfermarkt stands at €1m (£850k), but this will rise rapidly once he hits the ground running at Ibrox.
Despite losing a couple of midfielders in the summer, the Gers have a player in their current squad who has been linked with an exit in recent weeks, yet is worth over twice the value of Barron…
Rangers have hit gold with Giovanni van Bronckhorst signing
In the summer of 2022, Van Bronckhorst embarked on his first summer transfer window in charge of the Ibrox side, eventually signing no fewer than seven players, with Tom Lawrence among them.
The Welshman arrived on a free transfer from Derby County, where he registered 62 goal contributions – 37 goals and 25 assists – in 185 games for the Rams, becoming one of the most dangerous players in the Championship in the process.
It looked as though he could add some much-needed creativity to a side that struggled domestically during the second half of the 2021/22 season, yet injury problems meant he featured just nine times throughout the entire campaign.
He endured a more productive season last year (more on that later) and thus, his market value, according to Transfermarkt, currently stands at €2.5m (£2.1m), which isn’t bad considering his age and previous injury record.
This value is more than double that of Barron’s. While the youngster will eventually overtake Lawrence with regard to his market value, Van Bronckhorst's signing from two years ago could see Clement secure a decent profit on the former Manchester United starlet.
What the future holds for Tom Lawrence
Last month, news emerged that Van Bronckhorst – newly appointed manager of Besiktas – was eyeing a deal to reunite with Lawrence at the Turkish club this summer.
Lawrence is also attracting attention from Ipswich Town, who are about to embark on their first Premier League season in over 20 years, and with one year left on his current deal at Ibrox, this is perhaps the right time to cash in.
Last season saw the attacking midfielder make 32 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists.
In the Premiership, the 30-year-old also created four big chances, averaged 1.1 key passes and succeeded with 0.6 dribbles – a 64% success rate – per game, not bad for someone who managed to start just 12 league games all season.
Former professional Noel Whelan lauded the midfielder upon signing for the Glasgow side back in 2022, saying: “I think Lawrence is an amazing player. He put the work in at Derby as they were going through a very bad period. I believe he’ll settle right in at Rangers. He was probably one of Derby’s best players for a number of years – with his assists, goals, and that box-to-box nature. He’s a real engine.”
Is it the right time for Clement to cash in and cut ties with the Welshman this summer? Or can he play an important supporting role for the club as they chase Celtic down in pursuit of a first league title in three years?
He may be worth more than double that of Barron at the time of writing, but surely these two players will head in opposite directions with regard to market valuations over the next 12 months.
Lawrence has perhaps failed to live up to the hype upon signing for Rangers. But he could have the chance to redeem himself this term should Clement wish to keep him at the club.
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