Glasgow Rangers could be set for a major summer exodus at Ibrox if Philippe Clement has his way.
Not only are six players out of contract in Glasgow when the season finishes, but there are several first team players who will likely be sold by the Gers in order to raise funds for the Belgian to bring in his own transfer targets, thus improving the team in the process.
Much will depend on how much money he can get for the vast amount of deadwood which has lingered around Ibrox for too long, yet he should free up plenty of the wage bill with the six who are set to leave upon the expiry of their contracts.
Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, Leon Balogun, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack earn a combined £91k-per-week in wages, which could give Clement some leeway once the summer transfer window opens up.
Jack and Roofe, in particular, have seen injury issues gnaw away at their impact this season, and the duo should receive their well-wishes from Clement before leaving with their heads held high.
Philippe Clement faces a summer of change at Ibrox
While previous managers acted on sentiment and gave those who have struggled to remain fit new and extended contracts, it appears as though Clement isn’t one to follow in that direction.
Truth be told, the club’s injury crisis this season should have made the Belgian’s job much harder, but it proves how impressive he is as a boss that he managed to lead the club to a League Cup triumph, as well as contend in the Premiership until the final few weeks.
Player
Wage
Age
John Lundstram
£22k-per-week
30
Leon Balogun
£8k-per-week
35
Ryan Jack
£8k-per-week
32
Jon McLaughlin
£6.1k-per-week
36
Kemar Roofe
£26k-per-week
31
Borna Barisic
£21k-per-week
31
Throughout the entire campaign, Jack has played just 22 times this season, including only 12 starts, as his injury woes appear to be catching up with him.
With just four games remaining, it is unlikely that Jack returns to the starting XI given he has been missing since the start of February.
Having made 210 appearances for the Light Blues, it would be an underwhelming way to bow out at the club, but he has enjoyed plenty of highs across the previous seven seasons which allowed him to become a key member of the squad under Steven Gerrard.
This summer is the right time to move on, however, as Clement will need every member of his playing squad available for the majority of games next term if he looks at taking this team to the next level.
It isn’t only Jack who should be departing, as Roofe has also endured a frustrating time since the start of the 2022/23 season, and he will be leaving on a sour note.
Kemar Roofe's record during his first two seasons at Rangers
The £26k-per-week centre-forward joined from Anderlecht in the summer of 2020 as Gerrard was looking to build a team that could end Celtic’s dominance and claim their first league title in a decade.
Roofe had plenty of experience in England and on the continent, making the initial £4m investment seem like a wise one by the former Liverpool captain.
Indeed, during his maiden season at Ibrox, Roofe added something different to the Rangers attack. Not only could he score with ease, but he was able to drop deep and even create width in order to lure defenders out of position, allowing the likes of Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi to move into the vacated space.
Across 36 games in all competitions, the striker scored 18 goals and provided four assists, a decent start to life in Scotland.
Gerrard even hailed the former Leeds United frontman as a “Duracell bunny” due to his seemingly limitless energy which allowed him to pull defenders out of position on a regular basis.
His second season saw Roofe add another 16 goals to his tally, including an extra-time winner against Braga in the Europa League quarter-final, but he could only play mere minutes in the final following a recovery from a knee injury.
Despite a solid enough season, the next two years would see the player suffer injury after injury and struggle to really keep fit.
Kemar Roofe's record this season
Roofe only scored twice throughout the whole of last season, an extra-time winner against Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-finals and an effort against Livingston in the top flight, yet he played just six games.
A knee injury kept him out for the vast majority of the campaign and while he was fit to come off the bench for the first league match against Kilmarnock, it was clear Roofe wasn’t 100% fit.
A goal and assist against Ross County and Real Betis within a few weeks of each other looked as though he was on the right track, but these would be his last goal involvements until the striker netted the winner against Betis to send the Light Blues through to the last 16 of the Europa League.
The 31-year-old certainly knows how to perform in the most pressurised of moments, but 28 appearances since May 2022 tell its own story.
Indeed, since arriving at the club four years ago, Roofe has missed 96 games through injury, playing only 100 times, yet it should have been much more, that’s for sure.
This season, the Jamaican has started eight times in all competitions, which has cost the club a staggering £169k per start – when considering his £1.352m yearly wage. With only two goals in that time, it is hardly money well spent, and perhaps it is a good thing that Clement will let him leave when his contract expires.
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ByRoss KilvingtonApr 26, 2024
When fit and firing, Roofe was arguably one of the finest forwards at the club, being able to adapt to different tactics while dropping deep whenever required. Paying £26k-per-week for a player who is never fit is poor business, however, and this should be rectified during the summer.
Hopefully, he can enjoy a wonderful send-off with another trophy or two.