Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier was an unused substitute on Thursday night in the 1-0 win in the Europa League at Ibrox.
It was the first game that he had not started in the league phase, and it was the first win for the Gers, as Max Aarons deputised at right-back and helped the side to keep a clean sheet.
Tavernier, 34, has also come off the bench six times in the Scottish Premiership this season, per Sofascore, after only coming off the bench six times in the league in his first nine campaigns in the division.
This shows that his influence on the pitch is waning, as Rangers have become less dependent on his presence, and it may not be too long before he is not a regular starter anymore.
Tavernier has still started 16 of his 22 appearances in the league, so he is far from a bit-part player, but that could change in the coming months and seasons.
Championship star keen on move to Rangers
The captain’s place in the side could be under threat because of a new signing, for example, as the club reportedly look to sign a player in his position.
According to TEAMtalk, Glasgow Rangers are preparing a bid to sign Sheffield Wednesday full-back Yan Valery before the end of the January transfer window.
This news had already been reported earlier in the week, before their win over Ludogorets in the Europa League, and Wrexham were also said to be considering an offer for him.
TEAMtalk provide a fresh update on the situation, though, as they reveal that Valery is ‘keen’ on a transfer to Ibrox, because he would like to work with Danny Rohl again.
The German boss worked with him at Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday, which means that they already have a working relationship, and it looks like that connection could give the Gers the edge over Wrexham in this transfer race.
Why this is bad news for James Tavernier
Whilst Valery can play in midfield or at centre-back, the Tunisia international is primarily a right-back. This means that the news of him wanting to join the Gers should come as bad news for Tavernier.
The former Saints full-back started 38 of his 39 appearances for Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows how much the German boss trusts him on the pitch.
At 26, Valery is not a young player who would be joining to be an understudy with a view to the future. He is in the prime years of his career and will be pushing Tavernier for his spot in the starting line-up, which is already on looser footing than it has been at any other stage in his time at Ibrox.
The Owls star, who was hailed as a “fantastic” player who works well in Rohl’s system by Gareth Ainsworth, has the defensive qualities to potentially step in and offer more to the team out of possession than the skipper, which may appeal to the Rangers manager.
Based on their respective form at league level in the current campaign, the Tunisian star could be a solid addition to the squad, particularly if it is the defensive side of the game that the head coach wants to improve on.
|
25/26 |
Valery (Championship) |
Tavernier (Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
|
Games |
21 |
22 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.3 |
2.1 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.4x |
0.6x |
|
Duels won per game |
6.1 |
4.3 |
|
Blocks per game |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Fouls committed |
0.8 |
1.1 |
As you can see in the table above, Valery has been far more effective defensively than Tavernier as a full-back at league level this season, and the dribbled past per game numbers are particularly interesting.
Per WhoScored, Rangers average 59% per game in the Premiership and Sheffield Wednesday average 48% possession in the Championship, which means that the Owls defender has to do more defending.
Despite that, though, Tavernier still gets dribbled past more often at right-back. This speaks to the difference in defensive solidity in one-on-one situations between the two players.
Therefore, the captain’s position could be in serious danger if Valery makes the move to Ibrox in the coming days, because the Sheffield Wednesday full-back would provide Rohl with a big decision to make at right-back, given that he could improve the team defensively.
Rohl could sign dream £5m Dowell replacement in “huge coup” for Rangers
Glasgow Rangers can perfectly replace Kieran Dowell by signing this reported transfer target in January.
In the mid-to-long-term, the 26-year-old star could emerge as successor to Tavernier as a regular starter, and this could be the beginning of the end of the 34-year-old veteran.
