Former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness has discussed potential “great news” regarding the future of Rangers manager Philippe Clement.
Clement battling to save Rangers job
The Belgian has only been in the job at Ibrox for a little over a year, taking over from Michael Beale back in October 2023, but he is already battling hard to remain in charge.
Rangers have made a largely disappointing start to the season, beginning with being dumped out of the Champions League in the qualifying rounds, before allowing themselves to fall 11 points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race. Even Aberdeen are nine points clear of them, albeit having played one game more.
On Thursday evening, the Gers won 4-1 away to Nice in the Europa League, in what was a much-needed result for Clement, potentially giving him some leeway for the time being.
On Sunday, he faces another must-win game, however, with Rangers making the trip to St Johnstone in the league. Their opponents are sitting ninth in the table currently, so failure to beat them would be a significant blow, especially to the manager.
Former chief makes big Clement claim at Rangers
Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness claimed that Rangers could allow Clement to take the Belgium job without compensation, saying it could be “great news” for the Scottish giants if they managed to bring in £3m.
“It’s a funny story. The rumours are that there’s a £3million compensation clause in his contract. I think Rangers fans would say: forget the compensation, just take him. I’ve been arguing that he has to remain in place, and I still think he’s a good manager – with a squad like Belgium’s, he could do well.
“I don’t think there’ll be any compensation if Belgium do come in. This may be a situation where both parties decide to move on. If there is to be a change, it will likely come around Christmas. If Rangers get £3million from Belgium, it would be one of the more shocking things I’ve seen in football. It would be great news for the club.”
Rangers supporters are sure to be split when it comes to Clement’s future, with a section of the fanbase showing patience and still seeing him as the right man for the job. There may well be plenty who feel that a change in boss is needed sooner than later, in order to salvage the Gers’ season and keep up their faint chances of catching Celtic in the title race. That may be wishful thinking at this point, but a change in the dugout may freshen things up.
Should Belgium want Clement, though, Rangers should consider not standing in their way, especially in terms of potentially bringing in £3m to aid their financial situation.
Rangers preparing new offer to sign "phenomenal" Dessers upgrade
Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Premier League attacker.
ByDan EmeryNov 28, 2024
More may become clearer at the end of this weekend, with the St Johnstone game feeling big for the manager, but huge improvements are needed if he is to remain in charge in the long-term.