Rangers captain James Tavernier is reportedly being tracked by Arsenal and Manchester United as the Premier League giants look to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season – and it might just prove to be the best chance the Gers will ever have to cash in on their talismanic skipper.
Norwich City and Brighton are also both considering moves for the Ibrox star, according to 90Min, and, although it would be an upopular option, a hefty bid for the 29-year-old could just tempt Rangers.
While nobody at Ibrox wants to see the defender move on after five years at the club, the emergence of Nathan Patterson as a bonafide international quality defender has seen Tavernier’s place in the Rangers side come under threat for the first time.
65 goals and 90 assists is a phenomenal return from Tavernier over his time as a Rangers player and, despite the interest from England, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tav wanted to remain in Glasgow and help the Gers compete for a place in the Champions League group stages this season.
But if the price is right, Rangers will likely never have a better time to sell up.
With Tavernier approaching 30, he’s probably at his peak physically now and doesn’t show any signs of declining any time soon – but getting Patterson into the side regularly is going to be crucial for the teenager’s development.
19 goals and 16 assists last season show just how important Tavernier was for Rangers as they ended the season with their biggest-ever points margin over bitter rivals Celtic and lift the title.
Patterson is Rangers’ long-term future at right-back
The calls for Patterson to start for Scotland at Euro 2020 showed just how impressive the defender has been in recent months for the Gers and his Rangers career is only just getting started.
Spending another year or two on the bench trying to force his way past Tavernier will have benefits for Patterson in the long-term but moving Tavernier aside and letting the Scotland defender have an unchallenged run at being Rangers’ first-choice right-back will be the making of him.
The money from a potential sale of Tavernier could be reinvested in strengthening Gerrard’s squad elsewhere for a title defence and push at Champions League qualification – helping the Light Blues land further Champions League riches next season with the Scottish Premiership winners guaranteed a place in the group stage.
Patterson is going to be Rangers’ right-back for a long time to come, if his early performances are anything to go by, so giving him the chance to shine now makes a lot of sense for the Gers.
While there’s nobody at Rangers will want to see Tavernier move on in the near future, circumstances might just dictate that the Gers decide to cash in on their skipper.
If Tavernier is still a Rangers player when the transfer window closes, nobody will have any complaints – but if he does remain at Ibrox, the Gers might just have missed their best chance to cash in on Tavernier.
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