Glasgow Rangers slipped 15 points behind their rivals following yet more away day woes on Thursday evening, dropping two points against Dundee.
The 1-1 draw followed the same pattern as many of the club’s away matches this season, and it is clear that the Premiership title is now out of reach.
The January transfer window may be open, but the only move the vast majority of the Ibrox faithful want to see is Philippe Clement shown the exit door.
Although this would be the popular choice, finances indicate it will be too expensive, especially considering the manager has a contract until 2028.
This means he will be responsible for who is brought into the team this month. With plenty of rumours circulating already with regard to transfer targets.
Several areas of the side need bolstering, especially the defence and midfield, with an upgrade potentially needed on Connor Barron amid his recent woes.
Connor Barron's game in numbers vs Dundee
Against Dundee, the midfield struggled to dominate things from the middle of the pitch, with Barron unable to make much of an impact as he started in place of the suspended Nico Raskin.
The former Aberdeen starlet arrived at Ibrox to much fanfare and duly impressed over his first few months, slotting in alongside Mohamed Diomande at the heart of the midfield.
Raskin was recovering from an injury sustained in pre-season, but since a return to full fitness, his displays on the field have kept Barron on the bench.
Indeed, the Scot hasn’t started a game since the Boxing Day defeat to St Mirren, but due to Raskin’s suspension, he was brought back into the starting XI for the clash at Dens Park.
Barron lasted just 66 minutes before he was subbed off, but while on the pitch, the midfielder lost possession 12 times, won four of his seven ground duels and was dribbled past twice.
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Europa League
Accurate passes
42.4
27.5
Tackles
1.8
3.2
Interceptions
0.6
2
Possession lost
6.9
8.3
Ground duels won
2.7
4
He played a part in Dundee’s opening goal too, failing to clear his lines properly, which led to the home side scoring.
Not his finest display in the light blue, but there is clearly a player there, one that can be a fixture for the club over the next few years.
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Adding in some experience, especially without paying a penny in transfer fees, is desirable for the manager, however, which could lead to a concrete move made to bring in one notable target this month.
Rangers make enquiry for Serbian midfielder
According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are showing interest in CSKA Moscow player Sasa Zdjelar and reports coming from Russia state that the Ibrox side have made an enquiry about the midfielder as they look to strengthen their squad.
It could be good news for the club. Zdjelar might be allowed to depart his current side for free as FIFA granted foreign players the right to suspend their contracts with Russian clubs due to the ongoing war with Ukraine.
Considering the financial issues at Rangers, being able to bring in a player such as Zdjelar, who has been capped nine times for Serbia, could be a wonderful start to the window.
Why Rangers should sign Sasa Zdjelar
Across his career thus far, the midfielder has played for five teams, making a total of 403 appearances at club level, while missing just 16 matches through injury since the 2020/21 campaign.
Given how prominent the injury problems have been at Ibrox over the previous few years, signing someone who hasn’t spent much time in the treatment room would be a welcome bonus.
Content creator Kai Watson hailed the 29-year-old amid the recent links with the Gers, lauding his versatility to feature in central midfield and at centre-back, while highlighting the fact that he is “vastly experienced”.
The Serbian has played 21 matches for CSKA throughout the 2024/25 campaign so far, notching up one assist in the process. Going forward is clearly not his forte, although he has succeeded with 75% of his dribble attempts in the Russian top flight, along with creating one big chance and averaging 0.3 key passes per game.
It is his defensive ability that will certainly appeal to Clement, as Zdjelar can control games from the heart of the pitch, giving his side the edge.
Indeed, in the top flight, the CSKA star averages a pass success rate of 87% per game, while averaging 61 touches, making 1.1 interceptions and recovering 3.8 balls per game, showcasing his defensive attributes.
Additionally, the midfielder has won 3.8 total duels domestically – an impressive 64% success rate – which suggests he doesn’t shy out of one-on-one battles in the middle of the pitch.
Compare this to Barron, however, and it becomes clear that the Serbian star could be an upgrade for Clement. The Scot may have a higher average pass success rate (90%), but there is improvement to be made with regard to his defensive ability, especially compared to Zdjelar.
In the Premiership, Barron averages 0.6 interceptions, recovers 3.4 balls and wins 3.2 total duels per game – a success rate of just 45% – as the CSKA midfielder outshines the current Rangers gem across these metrics.
With more game time, Barron will only improve, which will likely see him depart Ibrox in the next few years.
Zdjelar may be approaching the latter stages of his career, but adding some solidity to the midfield could be exactly what Clement is looking for this month.
With various names being linked to Rangers, much will depend on the type of profile the manager and club are looking for.
Signing a current international who has played across Europe and has demonstrated an ability to control matches while offering effective defensive support makes perfect sense for the club. At Rangers, however, sense is often overlooked.
0 duels won: Clement was let down by Rangers ace who lost the ball 19x
Rangers suffered yet more woes on their travels as they drew with Dundee on Thursday evening
ByRoss KilvingtonJan 10, 2025
