Rangers failure who has been ‘ghosted’ for months must not start again due to roll

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rolle must be looking forward to the January transfer window after his team lost 2-1 to Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

The Light Blues manager was appointed after the summer transfer window, led by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, meaning he had no chance to bring in any of his own players.

However, the Rangers signed 12 players in the summer. That means he may have to part ways with a few players to make room for new signings at Ibrox.

Players likely to leave Rangers in January

According to Transfermarkt, Clinton Ciara and Ravi Matondo are the only two senior outfielders who have yet to play a minute in any competition, so they could be transfer candidates.

If they want to play regular football in the second half of the season, Nciara and Matondo may need to force their way out of Ibrox next month, either on loan or on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile, Kieran Dewell played six games for Russell Martin at the start of the season and has now been linked with a loan move to Hull, which could see him reach the end of the remainder of his Rangers contract.

Another player linked with a move from Ibrox in January is Jadey Gassama. He is reported to be a target of Spanish side Villarreal, who are said to be “exploring” the possibility of signing the winger next month.

The Light Blues are faced with an interesting dilemma as they could have to make a big decision ahead of the January transfer window, with Villarreal interested in signing the Frenchman.

Why the Rangers should sell Jaydee Gassama

Rangers signed the 22-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m in the summer, and if the Spanish side are willing to offer him a commensurate return then they should be open to signing him.

The Frenchman’s performances for Gers this season have been inconsistent at best, and his recent display on the pitch suggests he should be left out of the squad.

Rangers have four Scottish Premiership games left before the start of January, but Rolle has not performed well enough to warrant a starting spot and should not start another game until he is sold to Villarreal in January.

As you can see from the table above, despite starting almost every game, Gassama has scored just two goals in 21 appearances in the Premiership and Europa League, showing that he is unreliable in front of goal.

His dismal performance in the final third in these competitions was a bit of a surprise, given that he started his career at Ibrox, scoring four goals in six Champions League qualifying games.

The 23-year-old attacker has failed to live up to the hype generated by his early burst of goals, scoring just two goals in all competitions since the end of Champions League qualifying.

Rangers Journal author Kai Watson said Gassama had been “like a ghost” from the opening weeks of the season, and given his form in the Premiership and Europa League, it was difficult to argue with that assessment.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore, who has scored two goals in his last three appearances, and Findlay Curtis, who created a “big chance” off the bench against Ferencvaros (Sofascore), are on hand to substitute on the left.

With Rangers having two other viable options on the left in Moore and Curtis, Rohr can afford to remove Gassama from the starting lineup for the next four games and replace him with an impact substitute.

That would give the other two players a chance to prove they have what it takes to hold their positions going forward, and Rangers could be merciful in signing Gassama if Villarreal lose in January.

Depending on how much the Spaniard pays for his services, selling the French ‘ghost’ could also provide Rohr with funds to bring in his own players in other positions.

Therefore, if Villarreal’s interest is serious, it could be in the club’s best interest to keep Gassama on the bench for the next few weeks before selling him in January.