Former Rangers manager—and Liverpool legend—Steven Gerrard remains an icon at Ibrox thanks to his role in stopping Celtic from achieving “the 10,” or 10 league titles in a row, in 2020-21. Although, some would argue, the Hoops derailed themselves.
The Full Scottish
Still, Gerrard left Glasgow on a high, and seemed destined for managerial stardom, until things fell apart at his next job, at Aston Villa. Which is why the proud Scouser finds himself in the well-monied, but far less well-watched, footballing backwater of Saudi Arabia and decidedly NOT in the frame to take over for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. And yet, he’s hardly out of the news cycle, at least in Govan.
If reports are correct (and who knows at this point?) Gerrard is looking to sign two of his former stalwarts at Rangers—32-year-old Ibrox captain and right-back James Tavernier and 31-year-old central defender Connor Goldson—to his current employers, Al-Ettifaq, which sits an uninspiring seventh in the Saudi Pro League table as we write.
That last bit, at least to us, seems key, as we’d question why club chiefs at Al-Ettifaq would listen to struggling manager’s “recommendation” (as it’s been reported) to sign anyone. But so the rumo[u]r mill goes, and it’s not even June. Anyway, there is an argument to be made that ’Gers may, in fact, be interested in selling the pair. Both are on the wrong side of 30 and, both are among the highest-paid in the current Ibrox squad, each with two years remaining on their respective deals.
Indeed, current Rangers manager Philippe Clement may feel the reported £70,000 per week Tavernier and Goldson make collectively could be better spent on new blood, particularly if Rangers fail to win the league, or at least secure the domestic cup double, by getting past rivals Celtic in the Prem and in the Scottish Cup final next month.
Of course, that’s also assuming the Belgian still be around to make the decisions after said failures. In fact, Gerrard may be smelling blood.