According to a recent report from the Shields Gazette, James Tavernier would be one of the many players who would likely be put up for sale in the summer. Tavernier had been linked with Newcastle United in the past. Rangers were reportedly demanding £15m for him in the summer of 2019, but now it is believed that they would ask for only £4m for their club captain.
The fall in price tag shows what kind of season Tavernier has had for the Bears. The 28-year-old has provided three goals and 14 assists so far in all competitions this season. However, stats don’t show how bad he has been defensively on occasions this campaign.
End of the road for Tavernier?
Tavernier has been behind some high profile errors, which have cost Rangers. Even in the Europa League, the Bears could have had a much smoother path qualifying from the group if Tavernier had not made two blunders against Young Boys. The captain recently admitted (Daily mail) that the Gers don’t seem to have the bottle and the mentality to cope with tough situations.
Being a club captain, that didn’t go down well with the fans, and according to us, there seems to be no way back for him. Moreover, one of the primary jobs of a captain is to stand up tall during adverse situations, but it seems like Tavernier’s game is affected the most when Rangers are put under pressure. He will continue to captain the side until the end of the season, but Gerrard must have realised that Tavernier is too big of a defensive liability in the back four.
Hence, it will not be a surprise if Gerrard decides to part ways with him in the summer. West Brom and Aston Villa are reportedly keen on him.
Nevertheless, one cannot deny that at his best, Tavernier is a decent attacking fullback. His ability to pick out crosses and link-up play from the right has stood out. However, at Rangers where they are expected to win every game, Tavernier has been far too inconsistent. His positioning sense defensively looks lacking as he is often caught in no man’s land.
This season is all but a failure for Rangers after they invested heavily in the previous summer. Now it seems like they will have to go back to the drawing board and several players could head out to help in rebuilding the side again. Tavernier is a decent player on his day, but the Rangers jersey and that captain’s armband is seemingly too heavy for him.
