Rangers have taken a change of transfer direction in this window.
The Ibrox club have instead looked to emerging markets for fresh young talent they can develop into winners before flipping for a sizeable profit.
At least that’s the plan.
But Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been clear in the past that experience and top-level quality is also a must as he leads the Ibrox side through a long overdue rebuild.
As a result a number of names have been linked down south with one reported Premier League right-back target now officially up for grabs.
And just as those sounds around James Tavernier and Saudi Arabia get louder.
West Ham announce Johnson decision
Those Rangers links to Ben Johnson certainly are ambitious.
Especially when you consider the reported competition for the defender.
West Ham had made clear that they wanted the right-back to stick around next season after coming through at the club’s Academy.
Premier League rivals Crystal Palace have also been closely mentioned whilst newly-promoted Ipswich Town are said to be advanced discussions.
Throw in those reports of £60k per week wage demands and the Rangers links weren’t so much ambitious as they were pie in the sky.
But when others claimed that the former England U21 international’s next move isn’t going to be financially motivated, Rangers were suddenly thrown back into the ring.
Now, West Ham have officially confirmed that both Ben Johnson and teenage forward Divin Mubama have been released at the end of their contracts.
Change coming to right-back at Rangers?
The news comes at an interesting time for the right-back position at Rangers.
Club legend and longest-serving player James Tavernier is under the microscope after another domestic flop last season and some fans are calling for him to surrender the captain’s armband.
Amid confusing reports last week that Clement had made the call in favour of Jack Butland, the claims were eventually redacted, leaving fans a tad disillusioned.
Throw in these links to Ben Johnson – who as we’ve mentioned is likely Ipswich bound – and the entire thing takes on a new dimension.
If the links to Rangers are correct, then why are the club targeting a high-value right-back who’d expect to play when the club’s captain plays in the position?
It’s a situation to watch in the weeks ahead as Philippe Clement discusses the current state of the Rangers squad after the resumption of pre-season training.
