Rangers want to sell Dowell & “blistering” flop

Glasgow Rangers are looking to improve the options that Russell Martin has available to him at the top end of the pitch ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

21-year-old forward Djeidi Gassama has arrived on a four-year contract at Ibrox, and predominantly plays down the left flank.

Fellow new arrival Thelo Aasgaard, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide if needed, also joined from the EFL earlier in the summer transfer window.

The Scottish Premiership giants are not done there, though, as Martin wants to add even more attacking reinforcements ahead of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier.

It was recently reported that the Light Blues boss is pushing the club to strike a deal for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who the Gers want to sign on loan.

Martin wanted to sign the left-footed attacker, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, during his spells in charge of both Southampton and Swansea, and is now looking to land him at Ibrox.

What Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could bring to Rangers

If the Light Blues can get a deal for the Eagles youngster over the line in the coming days or weeks, Rak-Sakyi would bring plenty of attacking flair and quality to the team.

The 22-year-old star scored seven goals and provided two assists in 22 starts in the Championship for the Blades last term, as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

Rak-Sakyi also got supporters off their seats with his direct style of play. The winger completed 1.4 dribbles per game, despite coming off the bench 12 times, and was successful in 55% of his attempted dribbles, which shows that he constantly looked to get at the opposition’s full-back.

His return of seven goals and two assists does not paint the full picture of his attacking talents, though, as his output per 90 suggests that he has the potential to explode as a regular starter for Rangers.

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi was let down by wasteful finishing from his Sheffield United teammates, who did not make enough of the chances that he created for them.

Therefore, if Rangers can bring the left-footed star to Ibrox, Martin would have a tricky right winger who can score and create at an impressive rate in the final third.

The Gers, though, may need to thin their squad out in order to make room for signings like Rak-Sakyi, and others, which is why they are reportedly open to moving on several players.

Rangers willing to cash in on first-team players

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers have decided that there are a group of first-team players who they are willing to cash in on before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Kieran Dowell, despite being named as part of the leadership group by Martin, and Rabbi Matondo are the two forwards who could be on their way out of Ibrox.

It states that Jose Cifuentes, Robin Propper Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz, and Leon King are also on the chopping block in the defensive and deeper-lying midfield roles.

Rangers want to reduce the number of players in the squad, in order to make room for new additions to come in and improve the team, and that is why they are willing to sell all seven of these duds.

Dowell and Matondo’s respective exits, in particular, though, would allow the Scottish giants to bring in the attacking recruits that Martin wants this summer.

Why Rangers should sell Dowell and Matondo

The Light Blues are right to want to sell both players ahead of next season because they have both failed to prove that they have what it takes to be a success at Ibrox, and they occupy positions out wide and in attacking midfield that can be taken up by new signings, like Rak-Sakyi.

Dowell joined the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 and, despite being an attacking midfielder, scored two goals and provided two assists in 32 appearances in all competitions in his first 18 months at the club.

That led to the English dud being sent out on loan to Birmingham City for the second half of last season, after it was deemed that he was not good enough for the first-team squad in Glasgow.

This is why the Gers are right to be looking to move on from the former Norwich man, as he has failed to deliver consistent quality in front of goal as either a scorer or a creator.

Matondo, who spent last term on loan at Hannover, is a slightly different story for Rangers, though, as he has scored eight goals and provided 11 assists in 67 games for the club, which is a respectable, albeit unspectacular, return.

Instead of his quality on the pitch, it has been the Wales international’s availability, or lack thereof, that has been a problem since his move to the club in 2022.

As you can see in the table above, the left-sided attacker has missed far too many games through injury in the last three full seasons, and is already projected to miss three competitive games at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Matondo, who Kris Boyd claimed has “blistering pace”, has simply not been a reliable player because of his injury record, which is why Martin is right to want to move him on this summer to bring in players who are more likely to be available each week.

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Overall, Rangers could significantly improve their squad by pushing Dowell and Matondo out of the door to make way for Rak-Sakyi, who played 36 times last season and delivered more goals in the Championship than the current Gers duo have managed in their entire Ibrox careers.