Rangers must now cash in on the £39k-p/w Ibrox duo

Glasgow Rangers he achieved consecutive victories in Premiership for the first time since early December following their 3-0 win over Aberdeen on Wednesday, but they are just covering the cracks at Ibrox.

The title race is all but over, barring a miracle of epic proportions, meaning the Scottish Cup is the Gers’ last chance to win silverware this season.

Philippe Clement is aiming to strengthen his squad during the current January transfer window, but with just over two weeks remaining, no new players have come through the door.

The main area that needs strengthening is the defense and if a few signings are wanted before the window closes, defenders will have an advantage over other parts of the first team squad.

Due to the financial problems at the club, it is clear that Clement will not have a large budget to work with, meaning that several players will have to be sold for him to raise significant funds to progress.

One name rumored to be attracting interest is Cyriel Dessers. Considering he’s now down due to the form of Hamza Igamane and the resurgence of Danilo, now is the perfect time for him to cash in.

Why Rangers might sell Cyriel Dessers

The attacker has scored 13 goals and has registered four assists for the Light Blues in all competitions this term, but just five of those have come since the start of November.

Igamane has become Clement’s main striker and is relishing the recent opportunity to lead the line, making Dessers almost obsolete.

The Nigerian centre-forward was never a crowd pleaser, missing too many chances in the final third to ever endear himself to the fans.

According to Football Insider, Dessers could be a player which the club is selling this month, especially considering that there is interest in him.

Serie A side Cagliari have shown interest recently. So that they have La Liga club Leganes and if an offer arrives, Clement should seriously consider accepting it.

The 30-year-old cost money Ibrox side £4.5m in the summer of 2023, as Michael Beale wanted him to lead the line after the departures of Antonio Colak, Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala.

Usually, a return 22 goals during the first season in the new league it would have been hailed as a wonderful success, but Dessers should have had many more goals.

Indeed, he missed a an incredible 27 great opportunities himself in the first division, regularly missing two or three chances before getting on the scoresheet.

Although recouping the £4.5m fee paid for his signature seems unlikely, Clement still holds the upper hand, as Dessers still has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal.

Earnings £27k a week at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord frontman is the second highest earner at the club, which is also a good reason to sell this month.

If Dessers moves on, he won’t be the only one to leave Glasgow, as Clement has told two other first-team players they are free to look for other clubs this month…

Rangers could now sell the duo for £39k a week

While most fans wait for the club to make their first signing of the January window, Clement has offered an update on who could leave Glasgow over the next few weeks.

Chris Jack from Rangers Review reported that Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell will now be allowed to leave the Gers this month as the manager looks to clear some fringe members of his squad.

Matondo has been at Ibrox since 2022, while Dowell joined a year later, but the pair have failed to show their true talents during their time in Scotland.

There is no mention of the fees Clement will be seeking for either player, but with both having just 18 months left on their current deals at Ibrox, this is the club’s last real chance to cash them in.

Matondo is making money 23 thousand pounds a weekwhile Dowell carries home £16k a weekand it is clear that this money could be spent more wisely, that’s for sure.

Statistics of Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell at Rangers

Matondo has brought some big moments for the club since joining. His first goal against PSV Eindhoven in the 2023 Champions League qualifiers was massive, while his last-minute effort against Celtic will go down as one of the best goals scored at Ibrox in recent years.

However, beyond that, the winger has not offered the consistency needed to become first choice on the left flank at the club. In 67 performances, he scored eight goals and registered 12 assists, and the goal was included once in 3.4 games.

Add to this the fact that he missed 56 games due to injury. Now it makes sense to sell it. Dowell, meanwhile, didn’t cost a penny, but wasn’t offered many opportunities to show his ability.

When he did play, Dowell did not impress. In the best league last season, the 27-year-old created a great chance he averaged 0.7 key passes and scored just two goals in 12 games.

His contribution has been even worse this season, starting just three games since the start of 2024/25, registering zero goals.

Both Matondo and Dowell have been draining cash from the club of late, while taking up places in the squad that could have gone to younger players looking to make an impact.

With the news that the pair will be allowed to leave this month, Clement can focus on using the money saved to build for next season. If the Light Blues can recoup a decent fee for the duo then it will be a huge bonus for the Belgian.

You shouldn’t hold your breath.