Glasgow Rangers must undergo yet another summer rebuilding project under a new manager, which will mark the third summer in as many years that this has occurred, following Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in 2022, Michael Beale in 2023 and now Philippe Clement this year.
Can the Belgian actually bring in players who will contribute effectively next season? Or will he follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and splash money on a host of signings who fail to really catch the eye, repeating the cycle.
The 50-year-old tactician certainly has credit in the bank, and this could be further boosted should the Light Blues defeat Celtic in the Scottish Cup final next Saturday. Question marks remain, however, over the senior leadership at the club and whether the likes of James Tavernier and Connor Goldson could be sold, especially amid speculation from Saudi Arabia recently.
There is no doubt Clement must raise funds somewhere if he has any ambitions of strengthening his first team squad this summer, yet it looks unlikely that both Tavernier and Goldson would depart at the same time.
Could one of Beale’s signings perhaps be flogged during the window in order to fund a summer rebuild? Especially as one is currently shining out on loan for FC Utrecht – Sam Lammers.
Sam Lammers’ Rangers statistics
After seeing players such as Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent depart Ibrox last summer, it was evident that Beale needed to instantly improve the club’s attacking options.
This led to him making Lammers one of his main transfer targets during the early stages of the window. Beale ended up spending around £3m on the Dutchman to lure him from Serie A side Atalanta to the bright lights of Glasgow.
While predominantly a centre-forward, his lack of goals since the start of the 2020/21 campaign should really have been a warning sign for Beale, as he scored just six times across the three full seasons prior to 2023/24.
Beale preferred to use his technical skills to good use, however, utilising the player as a number ten. This would ease the pressure on him to score, while hopefully giving Lammers the licence to bring others into play and create plenty of chances.
The experiment did not go well at all. The Dutchman managed just two goals in 31 appearances for the Light Blues while failing to carve much in the way of opportunities for his teammates during games.
Lammers played 17 times in the Premiership and averaged 0.3 key passes per game along with creating just one big chance. Hardly the numbers of a player who was expected to be one of the main creative talents in the starting XI.
Metric
Eredivisie
Premiership
Goals
9
2
Assists
3
1
Key passes per game
1
0.3
Shots on target per game
1.5
0.9
Big chances created
5
1
It was clear he wasn’t able to properly express himself under Beale’s tactics, and despite things improving at the club when Clement took over in mid-October, Lammers still found it tricky to adapt to Scottish football.
This doesn’t make someone a bad player, far from that, as Lammers has truly shown his full potential while out on loan at Utrecht.
Sam Lammers is shining in the Eredivisie
In January, Clement moved the 27-year-old to the Dutch side in order for him to focus on getting his confidence back and to start scoring regularly.
Not only has it worked, but Lammers has arguably been one of the finest performers during the second half of the Dutch top-flight season.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward has featured in just 17 Eredivisie games for the club yet has found the back of the net on nine occasions, while also grabbing three assists too.
Sensational numbers and it clearly proves that one bad spell at a club simply doesn’t mean someone is a busted flush.
Despite joining midway through the season, Lammers currently ranks first among his teammates for goals and assists in the top flight (12), while also ranking first for shots on target per game (1.5) and third for scoring frequency (a goal every 169 minutes), showcasing just how important a signing he has been for the Dutch side.
This impressive form will be a big plus for Clement. Not because he will be looking to use him at Rangers next year, but simply due to the fact that it could drive up his value and give the Belgian a licence to sell him this summer.
Why Sam Lammers must be sold
According to Football Transfers, the 27-year-old is currently worth €6.9m (£5.9m), which is nearly double what the Light Blues paid for him less than a year ago.
It is clear his loan spell is working wonders for his valuation, which means Clement will be able to make a stunning profit on Lammers – with reports indicating that the club are keen to accept a permanent offer for the player this summer.
Indeed, his current market valuation is nearly double that of Todd Cantwell, who essentially took over from the Dutchman as the main attacking threat in the number ten role under Clement.
Cantwell has scored seven times while registering seven assists throughout the 2023/24 campaign, emerging as a key player under the leadership of the former Club Brugge manager.
However, his current market valuation according to Football Transfers is €4.1m (£3.5m), which is just under double what Lammers is currently worth.
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Cantwell can at times be inconsistent, failing to really go on a hot streak of form that the Dutchman embarked on during his loan spell, but with another pre-season under his belt this summer, Clement will be hoping he can be a star player for the Gers next term.
If the Light Blues can somehow sell Lammers for around £5m, then it would mark a stunning turnaround for a player who was written off during his brief six-month spell in Glasgow.
His loan spell allowed the centre-forward to regain his confidence and prove that he is, in fact, a wonderful player when operating in his comfort zone.
The club needs a major rebuild this summer if the status quo of Scottish football is to change and selling Lammers is one way of funding it.
