Could selling James Tavernier cover for Caixinha’s poor Rangers transfer dealings?

Follow us on Google Discover

Rangers gambled last summer with several foreign signings.

As Rangers bid to close the gap on Scottish Premier League champions Celtic, they opted for a different route last summer as they backed then-boss Pedro Caixinha to bring players in from overseas.

Six of Rangers’ eight summer signings came in from outside the UK, including Mexico internationals Carlos Peña and Eduardo Herrera, plus Portugal under 20 international Fabio Cardoso.

While Colombian Alfredo Morelos has been a solid addition, it is arguable that the other five foreign imports have failed to live up to the promise at Ibrox and valuable transfer funds appear to have been wasted.

Over £3 million alone has been spent on Herrera, Daniel Candeias and Peña – with the latter returning to Mexico on a year-long loan only 10 weeks after Caixinha’s sacking in October.

Rangers will have to be more diligent this summer when it comes to their spending, and they ought to look at former boss Mark Warburton’s approach to signing players with plenty of potential.

Players such as Josh Windass and Wes Foderingham have excelled at Ibrox over the past two years, but the deal to bring James Tavernier north of the border now looks to be a masterstroke.

As reported by the BBC, the 26-year-old right-back was signed from Wigan Athletic in a deal worth around £200,000.

Tavernier has gone on to become one of the best players in Scotland, scoring an incredible 26 goals for a defender and the player believes there is still more to come following his recent contract extension.

Gers have tied Tavernier down for another three seasons, but there must be a comfort knowing that selling him to a club south of the border would no doubt cover for Caixinha’s poor transfer dealings.

In today’s market, average players in the Championship are going for seven-figure fees and it is quite clear now that the Rangers full back is one of the best players in the UK outside England’s top-flight.

Comparable right-backs Andre Wisdom (BBC) and Cyrus Christie (Fulhamfc.com) both moved to Championship sides for around £3 million this season, and Tavernier is just as good, if not better.