Rangers defender James Tavernier has been linked with a move away from the Scottish giants with a host of English clubs lining up for his signature. Tavernier has been a revelation in the right back spot for the Light Blues as he has scored 25 times in his stint and has provided 40 assists.
Such numbers will certainly bring the limelight to the Bradford born defender and it will be tough for the Rangers to keep their man if big clubs come for him. He is considered as a fan favourite and has been one of the few bright sparks this season for the Rangers as they have seen their rivals Celtic yet again dominate the Scottish Premiership.
It will be tough to lure him as he has had previously commented that he enjoys playing at Ibrox. He was quoted as saying-”I’m fully committed to Rangers. I’m still learning here and I’m still growing here. I’m still under contract for another 18 months so I’m really happy here. I came here to win trophies. Also, in all the Old Firm games I’ve played, I’ve only been on the winning side once so far (in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final). I want to win some more of them. I still have unfinished business as a Rangers player. It’s totally down to the club if they want to extend my contract. I’ll have to wait and see.”
Tavernier numbers while going forward are terrific, however, he is equally good at defending and it will be a huge loss for the new incoming manager to fill in the space left by him. Therefore we look at three possible replacements The Gers can go after-
Kyle Naughton– The Swansea City defender has been a regular feature for them at the back and has pulled in one consistent performance after another. However, he is not in the same mould as Tavernier as he doesn’t provide that much output on the attacking front. Swansea is one of the clubs linked with a move for him and to bring him in they can probably be smart in the transfer market and trade Kyle Naughton with him.
Matt Doherty– The Wolves defender can also be a good bet for replacing Tavernier. Doherty has played as a wing back and in the right midfield and therefore he can provide more attacking outlet. His defensive work is also not too shoddy.
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Cyrus Christie: The Irish defender joined Fulham in the January transfer window but has seen next to zero action in the first team as Ryan Fredericks has been the first choice for the Cottagers. He can certainly be a good move as he was highly rated when he was with Middlesbrough.
