The Glasgow Rangers squad has already gone through significant changes since the end of the 2023/24 campaign, after they failed to win the Scottish Premiership title.
It has now been three seasons since the Ibrox giants won the division, watching on as their local rivals have lifted the last three trophies, and they will now be plotting to change that next term.
Rangers' Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month, to make additions to the team.
Signings were needed after the Gers opted to release Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, and Ryan Jack upon the expiry of their respective contracts at the end of May.
Liam Kelly, Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala, Jefte, and Hamza Igamane have all come through the door to bolster the squad.
There could now be further exits from Ibrox to free up space, and funds, for more additions to arrive before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of August.
Rangers playmaker could move on from Ibrox
According to Football Scotland, attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell is one of the players who could be sold if an offer comes in over the coming weeks.
The report claims that the English whiz, alongside Tom Lawrence and Kieran Dowell, is not untouchable in Glasgow and the club are seemingly open to cashing in on him for the right price.
However, it does not reveal if there is any firm interest in the former Norwich City playmaker or how much the Light Blues would demand for his services.
This comes shortly after an unbelievable mistake from his agent, Jose Enrique. The former Liverpool defender was looking to offer his client to Lecce coach Luca Gotti and, incredibly, sent his message to a fan page on Instagram named 'Luca Gotti reacts', which was then shared on social media.
Cantwell has also been linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, who the Scottish Sun claimed have been monitoring his situation at Ibrox.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Saudi Arabian side, who are also keen on James Tavernier, are ready to make an official offer to sign the Light Blues maestro.
However, all of these reports and incidents piece together to suggest that Cantwell moving on from Glasgow is a real possibility this summer and that could be a howler, akin to the one Michael Beale made with Fashion Sakala last summer.
Rangers' Fashion Sakala howler
Former Rangers manager Beale decided to cash in on the Zambia international ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and it turned out to be a mistake from the English boss, who was relieved of his duties not long after the window closed.
The versatile forward spent two seasons at Ibrox and racked up 24 goals and 15 assists in 91 appearances in all competitions for the club, for Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and Beale combined.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Sakala produced 12 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, which is an impressive return of 20 direct goal contributions in those 29 outings.
Beale then decided to cash in on the speedster by selling him to Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha for a reported fee of £4m, and that turned out to be a big mistake.
James Tavernier (ten) was the only Rangers player who managed more than five assists in the Premiership last season, whilst only Tavernier (17), Cyriel Dessers (16), and Abdallah Sima (11) produced more than seven goals.
This suggests that the Light Blues missed Sakala's quality in the final third as his return of 20 goals and assists from the previous campaign would have only been beaten by Tavernier's 27 goal contributions.
Appearances
31
Goals
19
Big chances created
6
Assists
4
Dribbles completed per game
2.7
As you can see in the table above, the Zambian sensation continued his impressive form at the top end of the pitch with his new club and caught the eye with 23 goals and assists in 31 league games.
These statistics show that Sakala, who has racked up 22 goals and nine assists in 41 games for Al-Fayha, has shown Rangers exactly what they are missing since his departure from Ibrox.
Why Rangers should not cash in on Todd Cantwell
Rangers should learn from their howler with the Saudi Pro League star and opt against cashing in on Cantwell, as there is no guarantee that they will be able to replace his quality.
The 26-year-old magician is a proven performer who can score and create goals in the Premiership, which is shown by his statistics since arriving from Norwich at the start of last year.
Cantwell joined during the January transfer window in 2023 and hit the ground running in Glasgow with a return of six goals, four assists, and five 'big chances' created in 16 league appearances.
The former England U21 international followed that up with seven goals and five assists in 24 Premiership starts in the 2023/24 campaign under Beale and Philippe Clement.
Goals
7
1st
Assists
5
1st
Big chances created
7
1st
Key passes per game
1.7
3rd
Dribbles completed per game
1.2
2nd
As you can see in the table above, Cantwell was one of the best, if not the best, performing midfielders in the squad when it came to making things happen in the final third.
The £22k-per-week whiz, who was hailed as a "real star" at Ibrox by pundit Micah Richards, has proven himself to be a brilliant option for the club in an attacking midfield role, as he can score and create goals at an impressive rate.
Like Sakala, Rangers would be selling a player with a proven track record of producing quality in the Premiership without any guarantee of being able to replace or improve upon that.
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They failed to replace the attacking output the Zambia international provided on the flanks and they must now avoid falling into the same trap by keeping hold of Cantwell this summer.
