Rangers have been a galvanized force this season under Steven Gerrard. However, silverwares are the currency of success in football and the Gers failed to grab one despite closing the gaps with rivals Celtic at the top of the Premiership standings. They are on a mission to dethrone the Hoops but, at the same time, struggling to keep hold of their star names amid interest from the English top tier.
According to the Mail, the newly promoted Aston Villa are plotting a swoop for the Light Blues skipper James Tavernier following an astounding campaign with 14 goals as well as assists in 37 league outings despite featuring as a right-back. Gerrard predicted the possibility of a summer transfer being aware of the rumours and was quoted saying ‘Every player has his price’ (the Daily Mail) while discussing the future of his prized asset.
The Villans have released eight players including fullback Alan Hutton after eight years of association with this prestigious football club. Coincidentally, his eventful career started at Rangers back in 2000 before breaking it to their senior side a couple of years later.
There he won the league once before completing a transfer in the region of £9m (as claimed by the BBC Sport) to Tottenham Hotspur.
The claret and blue are now back in the Premier League, therefore, set to reconfigure the squad to be competitive enough to retain their top-flight status. Tavernier has been identified to succeed Hutton at Villa Park and the Bears must find an alternative if a deal takes place within the next few months.
A reunion with Hutton might be explored, but the 34-year-old would be a short-term fix rather than a permanent solution and the club should look to bring someone who would inject a similar attacking intent as the Englishman offers. They have Jon Flanagan in their ranks who, despite a positive start to his Rangers career, lost the place later on following a number of underwhelming outings.
The fans are excited to watch Matt Polster next season, but the versatile American is largely untested in the Scottish environment and might find it difficult to fill Tavernier’s boots instantly. The 27-year-old is also a set-piece specialist and the gaffer would struggle to replace his all-round ability with an immediate effect.
