More assists than Tavernier: Rangers had howler in failed swoop for £70,000k per week “tremendous” gem – opinion

More assists than Tavernier: Rangers had howler in failed swoop for £70,000k per week “tremendous” gem – opinion

Last summer, Glasgow Rangers decided to back Michael Beale, allowing him to make significant changes to the playing team during the transfer window.

The English manager brought in a number of new players, including Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Jose Cifuentes, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland, Leon Balogun, and Abdallah Sima.

Two of those players, Lammers and Cifuentes, have already been permitted to leave on loan from the Scottish giants, having left in January, while Danilo, Sima, and Dowell are now sidelined with injuries.

Dessers has also struggled at times, as the former Cremonese striker has missed a stunning 20 ‘great opportunities’ in 23 Scottish Premiership outings, in addition to his 10 goals.

While you can refer to the acquisitions Beale did make and criticize the club’s incoming business last summer, you can also look at the players they allegedly failed to sign.

Rangers are interested in the current Celtic star.

It was reported in June of last year that the Light Blues were in talks with Greek side Aris FC about signing winger Luis Palma.

At the time,’more than 10′ clubs expressed interest in signing the promising Honduran international to enhance their respective squads.

However, the Light Blues were unable to sign him because they were unwilling to pay the £4.5 million demanded by the Greek club.

It was stated that there was a ‘big disparity’ between the two teams in their negotiations, implying that the Gers did not believe Palma was worth the proposed price or did not have the funds to pay £4.5 million for the forward.

That price appears to have dropped over the next several months, as he eventually signed for Celtic in August 2023 for £3.5 million, according to Sky Sports.

It’s unknown whether the Ibrox heavyweights would have been willing to commit up to £3.5 million, which was £1 million less than the initial valuation.

At the end of that month, the thrilling attacker disclosed that his agency had mentioned Rangers’ interest, implying that the reports earlier in the summer were credible, but that his emphasis had shifted to Celtic after hearing of their intention to recruit him.

Beale’s unsuccessful attempt to sign Palma has proven to be a costly mistake, as he has gone on to become a star in the Scottish Premiership this season, with more assists than Gers captain James Tavernier in the top tier.

Luis Palma’s brilliant performance for Celtic

The 24-year-old wizard has made an immediate impact in Scotland, emerging as one of Brendan Rodgers’ best performers in Glasgow thus far in the 2023/24 season.

He joined Parkhead following an outstanding start to the season with Aris. The youthful jewel contributed two goals and three assists in five appearances across all competitions for the Greek team, indicating that he arrived in good form.

Palma has made 21 Premiership appearances and 17 starts for the Hoops this season, scoring five goals and assisting nine times.

The right-footed magician, dubbed “tremendous” by Chris Sutton earlier this season, has averaged a goal or assist every 1.21 starts in the division for the Bhoys.

He has been a constant creative danger for his club on the left wing, creating 12 ‘big opportunities’ created and 3.0 key passes per match – the most by any player within the Celtic squad in both statistics.

Palma made an incredible 11 vital passes in only one game – against Dundee on Boxing Day – yet was only awarded with one assist for his exceptional creative efforts.

At the time of writing (21/02/2024), no Premiership player has more assists than the 24-year-old ace (nine), implying that he has been the league’s finest creator since his transfer to Parkhead.

His outstanding statistics in the Scottish Premiership for Celtic imply that Rangers erred by not investing the cash to gain his signing, especially given that the fantastic wizard has assisted more goals than Tavernier this season.

James Tavernier’s Season in Numbers

The Gers captain is the club’s most creative right-back, consistently creating opportunities for his teammates through his set-piece and crossing abilities.

Now 32, the seasoned dynamo has been crucial for Philippe Clement this season, and he stepped up once more over the weekend, scoring two penalties in a 3-0 win over St Johnstone to propel Rangers to the top of the Premiership standings.

Tavernier’s effort came just a few days after his brilliant performance against Ross County in the Light Blues’ 3-1 victory at Ibrox, in which he demonstrated his exceptional ingenuity.

James Tavernier	Vs Ross County
Minutes played	90
Sofascore rating	10
Chances created	Eight
Big chances created	Three
Assists	Three
Stats via Sofascore

As shown in the table above, the English full-back generated numerous chances at the top of the pitch and was rewarded with three assists – two more than Palma’s three important passes against Dundee earlier in the season.

Tavernier’s assist total for the Premiership campaign now stands at eight, five more than any of his teammates, and he has generated 13 ‘big chances’ in 26 league games.

This implies that the former Newcastle United prospect has produced a ‘big chance’ per two starts and assisted a goal every 3.25 starts this season.

Palma, who has assisted one more goal than Tavernier, has created a ‘big chance’ per 1.41 starts and assisted a goal every 1.89 starts for Celtic in the Premiership, totaling 12 ‘big opportunities’ and nine assists in 17 starts.

These figures reveal that Rangers passed up a player who would have been Clement’s best creative talent if he had repeated his present form for the Hoops at Ibrox, which is why Beale’s failure to sign him last summer was a huge mistake.

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