With Rangers well and truly at the business end of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign and manager Philippe Clement’s side only having three games left to see out the season, the remaining nine available points to battle for will ultimately decide where this year’s league trophy goes.
With the Scottish Cup final still be decided at the end of the league campaign, inevitably Rangers fans will slowly start turning their attentions to Clement’s first full summer in charge, and many will be expecting our 50 year old Belgian to be very busy when the summer transfer window finally opens, so he can noticeably build and improve on all the changes that he has already made since replacing former gaffer Michael Beale in the hot seat.
For fans who enjoy a little flutter during the transfer window, exploring the best betting sites offers could prove to be an exciting starting point for engaging with the off-pitch action set to unfold over the next few months. Whether it’s placing bets on player transfers or speculating on managerial changes, these platforms offer a wealth of opportunities to add an extra layer of excitement to the football season.
One fresh piece of transfer rumour mill speculation that has begun doing the rounds in recent days suggests that Northern Ireland international, Paddy McNair, could be a target for our Ibrox bosses.
The 29 year old 67 capped defender has spent the last six years at the Riverside Stadium with Championship side Middlesbrough, but the former Manchester United Academy graduate recently confirmed that he will be leaving the club this summer in search of new adventures.
A short post on social media from the player simply stated.
“After six years and 219 appearances, my time (at Middlesbrough) has come to an end. Big thank you to all of the players, staff and the fans for the support throughout the years. Looking forward to the next chapter.”
He has had his ups and downs on Teeside over the last few years, but his appearance record largely speaks for itself, and he will undoubtedly have a plethora of suitors who are interested in taking him on when his contract comes to a natural end next month.
He originally moved to Boro back in the summer of 2018 for a reported £5 million fee, and he pretty comfortably won their Player of the Year award in the 2020/21 campaign and as well as tentative links to Ibrox, there are already loose rumour mill links to Robbie Keane’s Maccabi Tel Aviv side, and Italian outfit Como.
As the summer nears there are bound to be more sides linked as well, but there could be legs in the links to Rangers given he has long been a boyhood fan of the Gers. However, fans should not overly expect quick movement here, as McNair will use the summer break to fully assess his available options, and he will undoubtedly get the upcoming international action out of the way first so he can focus on his future without distractions.
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side are set for a friendly double header out in Spain next month. They face the Spanish national team in Palma on Saturday June 8 before they then take on Andorra in Murcia on Tuesday June 11.
McNair’s experience and versatility would likely be of interest to Philippe Clement as he continues to reshape the side and build on his obvious progress so far, but reaction in the fan base is likely to be more mixed, particularly when you consider the finances that would likely be involved in bringing him to Glasgow – even as a free agent.
As ever with rumours, we will simply have to see whether or not there is anything actually in this, and then in Clement we continue to trust.
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