Clement Could Bring in Barisic as a Replacement, Who Was “really Good” Against Rangers

Glasgow Rangers are set for a summer of changes under Philippe Clement, with the Belgian looking to build a squad full of transfer targets of his own at Ibrox.

The Belgian has inherited a side from Michael Beale that features a number of players who are clearly not up to the standard required to be a long-term solution for the Light Blues.

Credit goes to the former Club Brugge manager who somehow managed to drag the club into a race for the Premiership championship, win the League Cup and reach the Scottish Cup final, proving just how good he is trainer has proven.

This summer is the perfect opportunity for the 50-year-old to get rid of some deadwood while also signing a few targets who can immediately improve the starting XI.

Could the Light Blues perhaps use a player who recently shone against the Old Firm as one of their future transfers? A current Scottish football expert agrees.

The Rangers gave the tip to switch for the defender

It’s no secret that the left-back area is a key concern for Clement. Not only is Borna Barisic out of contract at the end of the season and expected to leave Glasgow, but Ridvan Yilmaz is injury prone and he simply cannot be trusted to stay fit throughout the season.

This will certainly see the club dip into the market for at least one left-back this summer, possibly even two depending on the budget available to Clement.

Pundit Tam McManus, a former striker for Hibs and Dundee among others, has heaped praise on a left-back who has shone for Dundee in recent weeks since his loan move from Burnley – Owen Dodgson.

“I like the left-back, Dodgson,” McManus said when speaking to PLZ Soccer about the defender. “He was excellent. I think Celtic and Rangers should look at him.

“In the two games I saw him, both against Celtic and Rangers, I thought he was really, really good.”

Could he perhaps be a viable option for the Rangers? Even if it was just to add much-needed depth to the squad over the summer.

Owen Dodgson’s stats for Dundee

The youngster moved north to secure a six-month loan deal at Dens Park, where he has made 13 appearances for the club so far.

The 21-year-old has shown a lot of potential in his 12 Premiership appearances. Not only does he show great willingness to get the ball, which is reflected in an average of 43.7 ball contacts per game, but he has also won a total of 3.3 duels per game – a success rate of 55% – and created two big chances Impresses across the board with a range of key performance indicators.

It was his performances against both Rangers and Celtic in recent weeks that made people sit up and take notice, showcasing his talents while playing against the two best teams in the country.

In the duel against the Light Blues, Dodgson won six of his seven duels, made four interceptions and was not over-dribbled once. A few weeks later, when Celtic came to town, the Englishman put in a wonderful performance, making five key passes, winning three of his five duels and creating two big chances in the eventual 2-1 defeat.

This shows that facing some of the best attackers in the top flight clearly hasn’t fazed the player in the slightest, which could prove useful if the Gers take a closer look at him.

There is no reason why he couldn’t replace Barisic, especially considering how poor the Croatian has been so far this season after ending his six-year association with the club.

Borna Barisic’s stats for Rangers this season

The left-back has been a fixture at Ibrox since his first appearance in the summer of 2018, becoming one of Steven Gerrard’s first signings in the process.

Almost six years later, he has made 234 appearances for the Light Blues, winning every domestic award and helping the club reach the 2022 Europa League final.

However, his performance level has since fallen and it is clear that the club will have to release him after the end of the season to inject some freshness into the department.

At the time of writing, the 31-year-old has played 33 times for the Gers this season, most of them in the first half of the season.

In fact, Barisic has only made five Premiership starts since the turn of the year as Yilmaz emerged as Clement’s first choice.

The only reason he got some playing time is because of Yilmaz’s injury, which he sustained in the international match, otherwise he would have spent most of his time on the bench.

Among his teammates this season, the Croatian ranks 11th in the Premiership squad for goals and assists (three), while he is only 17th in big chances created (1), and in accurate passes per game (28th). .6) and ranks 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.3), suggesting that his stats are often poor even when he plays.

The defender currently earns £21,000 a week and cutting that salary in the summer will undoubtedly give Clement a lot more flexibility in the transfer window.

Dodgson will return to his parent club, Burnley, once his loan spell at Dundee comes to an end, but he has clearly impressed over the past five months.

With a contract at Turf Moor until 2025, suggesting he could be available for a bargain price should Burnley be willing to sell him.

Although nothing is concrete yet, he could certainly be a wonderful option for Clement next season. Dodgson is still at the peak of his career and could even bring the Gers a win in the future, such is his potential.

Summer could actually be an exciting time for the Ibrox faithful.