Clement could drop Lawrence by sealing Rangers deal for “phenomenal” £7m maestro.
Clement could drop Lawrence by sealing Rangers deal for “phenomenal” £7m maestro.
Glasgow Rangers have already played two matches in the 2024/25 campaign and it seems as though supporters may have to be patient with Philippe Clement.
The Belgian boss has attempted to overhaul the playing squad, with several players moving on and arriving at Ibrox, but it has largely been the same players from last season playing in the first two matches.
Connor Barron, who arrived from Aberdeen, is the only player who was not at the club last season who has started in the first two games against Hearts and Dynamo Kyiv.
Jefte did come off the bench at halftime on Tuesday night, and Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny came on to help Cyriel Dessers score a last-gasp level in the Champions League qualifier.
There is still plenty of time before the summer transfer window closes at the end of the month, so Rangers could make further acquisitions to replace some of their present underperformers.
One player that must be replaced and dismissed from the starting lineup before the conclusion of the window is offensive midfielder Tom Lawrence, who continues to underperform.
Tom Lawrence’s struggles in a Rangers shirt
The Welsh whiz is not a terrible player who is of no use to Clement, as he could provide a decent option to bring off the bench, but he has not done enough to suggest that he should be starting games on a regular basis.
Attacking midfielders Ianis Hagi and Alex Lowry have reportedly been told that they are free to move on from Glasgow this summer, and fellow number ten Todd Cantwell has handed in two transfer requests.
This has left Lawrence as the only senior attacking midfield option for Clement to call upon, which was a concern ahead of these recent matches due to his lack of form last term.
| 23/24 Premiership | Tom Lawrence |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 23 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Minutes per goal | 589 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Big chances created | 4 |
| Key passes per game | 1.1 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, the former Derby County player rarely made an impact at the top end of the pitch, with five direct goal contributions in 23 appearances.
He scored one goal every 589 minutes in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers and that did not suggest that the club should rely upon him as a regular starter this season.
Lawrence has blanked in the first two games of this term, starting against both Hearts and Dynamo Kyiv, with zero goals and zero assists for the team, including just one chance created in 90 minutes in the league on Saturday.
At the age of 30, there may not be much – if any – development left for the Wales international to go through, which means that he may not improve his lacklustre returns in front of goal.
Therefore, Rangers must dip into the market to sign one of their reported transfer targets in order for Clement to drop Lawrence from the team.
Rangers keen on Premier League midfielder
It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that the Light Blues have identified Manchester United central midfielder Hannibal Mejbri as a potential target this summer.
The outlet claimed that the Scottish giants have already been in contact with the Premier League side to discuss a possible swoop for the Tunisia international.
It was stated that the Gers, in an ideal world, would like to bring the 21-year-old star in on an initial season-long loan with an option to make it permanent next summer.
However, Manchester United would prefer to cash in on the academy graduate on a permanent basis, rather than sanctioning a temporary exit from Old Trafford.
TEAMtalk claimed that the two teams have, though, held positive talks over a potential deal for the Tunisian prospect, which suggests that it may not be an impossible transfer for the club to pull off.
The report added that the Red Devils would be looking for a fee within the region of £7m for Hannibal and it remains to be seen whether or not the Gers would be willing to pay that kind of price for his services.
Nils Koppen and Clement must work hard to see if they can get a deal over the line for the midfielder, whether it is on loan or a permanent basis, as he could come in and replace Lawrence.
Why Rangers should sign Hannibal
The French-born youngster had a rough 2023/24 season, making just 11 league games for United and Sevilla combined, but that should not scare Rangers.
Prior to last season, Hannibal had established himself as a highly bright young talent with his performances at United’s academy and on loan at Birmingham in the English Championship.
To begin, the 21-year-old prodigy had six goals and 17 assists in 41 games for the Red Devils at U23 level, demonstrating that he is a midfielder who enjoys getting forward to create opportunities at the top of the ball.
Hannibal was subsequently given the opportunity to play regular first-team minutes for Birmingham in the Championship, and he attracted the eye with his performances.
| Hannibal vs midfielders | ||
|---|---|---|
| 22/23 Championship | Per 90 | Percentile rank |
| Assists | 0.23 | Top 7% |
| Expected Assisted Goals | 0.18 | Top 10% |
| Shot-creating actions | 3.14 | Top 24% |
| Key passes | 1.62 | Top 18% |
| Crosses into penalty area | 0.28 | Top 19% |
| Stats via FBRef | ||
As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian maestro stood out among his positional peers in the division in a host of creative metrics in the second tier.
He produced five assists and created six ‘big chances’ in 21 starts for Birmingham, whilst Lawrence has managed three assists and four ‘big chances’ created in his last 24 league games for Rangers since the start of last season.
At the age of 21, Hannibal would also arrive at Ibrox with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, and the same cannot be said for the Welsh dud.
Therefore, Clement could ditch Lawrence from the starting XI and bring the United youngster in due to his potential to offer more creativity in the number ten role, whilst also having the scope to improve further.
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