Rangers summer transfer exit already in works as man at the heart of seven-figure deal makes claim
Another influx of Ibrox departures are expected this summer amid the 49ers takeover deal
Rangers are preparing for another summer exodus with players on high wages or those who have already been deemed surplus to requirements braced to head through the exit door.
Amid uncertainty over which direction the Ibrox club will go down moving forward as 49ers Enterprises attempt to complete a lucrative takeover deal of the Govan outfit, the Light Blues’ current recruitment model has yet to prove that it’s working.
The likes of Robin Propper and Nedim Bajrami were signed last summer, but the pair have yet to live up to expectations with the latter, in particular, needing to do far more to justify his £3.5 million transfer fee.
Five players were sold for around £800,000 at the end of last season including centre-back Connor Goldson, plus attacking duo Todd Cantwell and Sam Lammers. There are also question marks surrounding technical director Nils Koppen’s ability to obtain transfer fees.
With a number of out-of-favour Gers stars making moves in the January window, it’s expected there will be yet another influx of departures and one player likely to be at the top of that list is Wales international Rabbi Matondo.
Rangers outcast drops exit hint after breaking Wales duck
The 24-year-old, who joined Bundesliga second-tier side Hannover 98 on loan in January, is aiming to get his career back on track after a stop-start spell in Glasgow.
Matondo looks to have put a string of hamstring and knee injuries behind him following intermittent periods in former manager Philippe Clement’s matchday squad. He has yet to make a significant impact in Germany, despite scored his first international goal for Wales in their World Cup qualifying win over Kazakhstan last week.
Explained his decision to leave Rangers at the turn of the year, Matondo admitted: “It wasn’t an easy decision at first but when Hannover showed me what they were planning in the future I thought, ‘Why not? Go there and try to play my football.. It’s been a long, hard season with injury at the start so coming back and trying to get minutes was very important.”
Can Hannover 98 afford to sign Matondo?
Matondo’s temporary six-month spell with Hannover raises the question why would it matter what their long-term plans are for the future?
The 13-capped winger could potentially have already agreed on his next destination as he looks for a fresh start elsewhere, with the German club having a £1m option-to-buy the player.
Matondo has only started two games in Bundesliga 2 to date, netting a screamer on his debut within days of putting pen to paper. He will be aiming for a consistent run of games once the international break has concluded.