It’s not over until the fat lady sings, as they say.
But, for one club’s hopes of signing the £3 million Rangers man this summer, she is giving the lyrics one last read through while preparing her scales.
Over the last few weeks, the sheer finances required to take Sam Lammers away from Ibrox – on a permanent basis this time – have had even some of the more well-heeled Eredivisie clubs scrambling around for cash.
Lammers allegedly earns £20,000-a-week at Rangers. And while the Glasgow giants may be willing to sell the former Atalanta, PSV Eindhoven and Eintracht Frankfurt forward at a loss, FC Utrecht may struggle to agree a deal.
The club’s president, Frans Seumeren, has already admitted that even bringing Lammers in on a short-term loan deal back in January stretched the budget.
And Ron Jans, Utrecht’s popular head coach, is not exactly holding his breath. He accepts that the chances of Lammers returning to the Stadion Galgenwaard are probably lower than 50 per cent.
Rangers’ Sam Lammers was a big hit at FC Utrecht
“It is not yet 100 per cent (sure that Lammers will not return),” Jans explains to ESPN. “But less than 50 per cent.”
The manager is not accepting defeat just yet, however, even if he knows Utrecht’s hopes look slim.
“We keep hoping and will not give up until it is final,” Jans adds.
With 10 goals in 18 games, Lammers scored more in only a few months for Utrecht than he managed in his previous four seasons put together. A one-time £9 million signing at Atalanta, Lammers found the net only twice in 31 Rangers games.
It feels unlikely, meanwhile, that there will be a place back at Ibrox for the Dutchman. Philippe Clement already has Tom Lawrence and Todd Cantwell for the number ten role. Lammers can play as a number nine too, but Rangers are looking to bring in Albion Rrahmani or Hamza Igamane alongside former Eredivisie duo Danilo and Cyriel Dessers.
There is a chance, however, that Utrecht will have some money to play with soon. PSV, runaway Dutch champions last term, are keen to sign centre-half Ryan Flamingo in a deal worth around £8.5 million. Still, Lammers would likely have to accept a substantial pay cut if he was to return to the club where he played his best football since that Heerenveen spell back in 2018/19.
A return to the Eredivisie uncertain
“He earns one and a half million euros (a year) at Rangers. The Scots have paid a large part of his salary in these six months,” reporter Hans Kraay Jr told ESPN a month ago, Lammers’ £20,000-a-week salary well in excess of the fees Utrecht are used to stumping up.
“But, in principle, they will not do that anymore in the new season. And Utrecht will of course not pay one and a half million.”
Lammers has also been linked with AZ Alkmaar and FC Twente. The latter could make their move if Wout Weghorst – the Burnley misfit – ends up joining Ajax instead.
Twente are keen. But, according to Fabrizio Romano, personal terms have been reached with the Amsterdam giants.
“In many facets of football, Lammers is better than Weghorst,” Anco Jansen, the former Eredivisie forward turned pundit, tells ESPN.
“Perfectly two-footed, (Lammers) can create a chance for himself. Technically, almost perfect. Weghorst is not that.
“In my vision of football, I think Lammers is better than Weghorst.”
